Disclaimer: Not mine...
wk: Oh dear. I'm not sure if I like this chapter too much. (Sighs) Somehow, instead of getting better, I feel as if my stories are getting a bit worse. Whoops. Not cool. Not cool at all. Anyways, here's chapter twelve. At first, I hesitated on what to call it, but I decided on one. Hope you like the chapter!
Oh, wait! One more thing... THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! I love the support you've given me, which is exactly why I do the Review of Reviews. I want to have the chance to thank you all. It's time-consuming, but I love answering all of your replies to my story. Thanks so much for sticking with me this far, and I truly appreciate you guys's (Is this a word? Probably not...) love for my story. It's amazing the amount of reviews I got, and I just want to say again... THANK YOU!
Chapter Twelve
Secret's Out
Kagome, laughing and holding on to Ayame and Sango, nearly tripped and broke her pretty ankles when she saw Inuyasha. She had seen him in a suit before, but with his amber eyes glowing with lust and desire for her, it kicked off a twin set of curling heat in her belly, and she wanted to jump down the remaining stairs and ravish him. In public. Instead, she flashed him a smile, half-pleasure, half-challenge. His eyes sharpened as they met her challenge. She resisted the urge to put a hand over her heart. Oh dear. She didn't even know what the challenge was.
"You have it so bad," Sango and Ayame chimed together as they watched the silent exchange, the tilting of her lips and the change in his eyes.
Kagome gave a heaving sigh, her lips curling ruefully. "Lord knows I do. He has yet to figure it out, though," Kagome said.
"He will," Ayame assured. "Sooner than you think," she added as she noticed the blue box under Inuyasha's arm. Kagome didn't notice it, since her attention was still riveted on Inuyasha's eyes.
Kagome heard Sango's breath catch next to her, and followed her gaze. It was harder to sport Miroku, since they were on the last step, but between a swirling couple, she saw Miroku staring intently at a blushing Sango. "I'm not the only one," Kagome said in a sing-song voice. "How delightful."
"Indeed," Ayame muttered. Maybe she shouldn't have broken up with her beau so quickly.
God what was she thinking? He had been sweet, but had started to annoy her with his clinging. And he had been rude to Uncle Inu. It wasn't the rude part that iffed her. It was the "I can't stand up to your uncle!" part that irked her. Ayame sighed. If she didn't find someone who could stand up to Uncle Inu, she was going to go mad. Stark raving bonkers. Every "man" she had come across was unwilling to go through her lovable Uncle. She huffed out a breath. She wondered why.
"You guys go find your men. I think it's time I go hunting," Ayame murmured. The urge to howl was strong, but she didn't dare. Female wolf demons were forbidden by law to do so now. Male wolf demons would kill each other for her, as was custom by wolf law, but illegal under human law. So, she tried to find a potential mate-to-be as regular human girls did: Stand next to the punch table until she found a suitable male. She should be on the discovery channel.
Now all she had to do was find the damn punch table.
As she passed the restroom (for what she thought was the third time), a catcall made her turn.
"Hey, baby. Nice set of cheeks." A male voice said, dripping oiliness and seduction, which she found rather nauseating. And she doubted he was talking about her facial cheeks. The guy waggled a brow at her, and all she could think was ick, gross, disgusting! She looked the guy up and down. If she was honest with herself, he looked okay. Still, he looked as if bunnies could scare him off. The soft, fluffy kind. Writing him off in her mind, she turned back in her futile search of the lost punch table.
"Hey! Toots! I'm talking to you!" He laid a hand on her shoulder, but she merely brushed it off.
"I wouldn't touch me if I were you," Ayame said mildly, wondering distastefully why her heels didn't permit her from seeing the punch table. His hand was on her shoulder again.
"Like a sweet little thing like you could--" Ayame sighed, prepared to turn and make a scene in the ballroom.
Suddenly, she was snagged-- there was no other word to describe it. An arm went around her waist, and she was plucked from the guy's hold. "What the--"
"There you are honey," the man whom the arm belonged to drawled at her. "Should've called me."
"Right… Who're you?" Ayame asked, plastering a fake smile onto her face. The guy tipped his head down to look at her.
"Kouga."
"Hm… Nice name. Nice arm, too. I'd appreciate it if you removed it," Ayame said. Kouga grinned. Surprisingly, he removed it. His grin faltered when she shoved him. Girl had a pair of arms on her, he mused.
"What was that for?" he asked. "I rescued you. Now you're supposed to swoon over me," Kouga said. What was it with high-powered women these days? Kagome was just like this chick. Only this one… The green was bringing nature images to mind. Adam and Eve. Oh boy.
"Like I needed you to rescue me," Ayame snapped, and strode off.
Kouga blinked after her, then grinned again, hooking his thumbs in his pockets.
"Interesting."
"You look…" Inuyasha said in wonderment as Kagome found him. Kagome spun once, laughed, showed off her dress. Inuyasha gripped her arm suddenly, took off his jacket, and scowled at her. She blinked as the jacket settled over her shoulders, and he kept it closed with one hand.
"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, bewildered as she tried to shrug out of his jacket. He started to growl, and his hold tightened. She looked up to yell at him when she noticed he was looking at other men, warning them. A bit touched, but also annoyed, she pinched him. He jumped, looking down at her in surprise.
"What was that for?"
"For being a jealous fool," Kagome said, trying to pry his fingers from the jacket. She stumbled when he started to pull her forward by the jacket, practically dragging her outside. "I don't like being manhandled!" she hissed at him. His only reaction was a tightening of his lips, and then he closed the terrace doors, cutting off the music, and hopefully their own conversation.
"I'm not jealous," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth. Kagome sniffed haughtily.
"You dragged me outside to tell me that? I could have told you that you were lying in there." She jerked a thumb toward the ballroom. "Now let go of me."
Because they were outside and he was shielding her from view, he let her take off his jacket.
"So I guess you didn't like the dress?" Kagome asked almost casually. Inside, she wanted to tear off… well, she wanted to kill him. Nanami had made this dress with her own two hands, and Kagome was going to draw attention to it if it was the last thing she did!
"Good Lord!" Inuyasha cursed. "I love the damn dress. It makes you look like a goddess," he bit out.
"Well, no need to sound all bitter about it," Kagome said tightly. Inuyasha sighed, drew her close and kissed her senseless. "Well, if you put it that way," Kagome said breathlessly as he drew away.
"I don't want you to wear it in front of other men." That wiped away her dazed smile.
"Then how do you suppose I advertise the dress?"
"Bring a hanger."
"You're joking."
"I don't want you near naked in front of other men!" he said with a growl. He would never allow it! "Do you want to be almost naked in front of other men?"
"No, you half-wit! I want to wear it for you!" Kagome yelled. "But you don't trust me not to jump other men--!"
"I do trust you!" Inuyasha interrupted. It was a good thing he had closed the doors, but he was afraid they were going to crack under their high tones. "I just don't trust them!"
"Don't give me that… that… crap, you jerk! If you trusted me, you would trust me enough to know that I trust you enough to protect me from them!" Kagome yelled. Inuyasha blinked. He had not understood a word she had just said.
"Run that by me again?" Kagome blew out a frustrated breath.
"You can protect me! I trust you to protect me! I promise I won't let other men do things to me voluntarily--"
"But that's the problem. I know you won't do it voluntarily. So what if they make it involuntary?"
"You'll be there to protect me, won't you?"
"…Of course!"
"Then there's no problem." Inuyasha briefly wondered how she had won. His problem was that when other men even looked at her, possessiveness and jealousy reared its ugly, green head.
"Let's go back… What's that?" she pointed at the box under his arm, her mouth going slack. Inuyasha grinned, glad he had been the one to catch her off guard, for once.
"This, you stubborn, pig-headed brat," he said, "is…" he opened the box before she could rant. He heard her quick intake of breath.
"Oh my God…" She ran her fingers down the trail of diamonds. He felt as if she had run those fingers over him. "This must have cost--"
"Nothing, compared to your priceless reaction. Say, how do you think it would look on your mother?"
"You bought this to suck up to my mother?" she asked incredulously. He shrugged. Kagome gaped, then felt the anger boil under her skin.
"So? Do you think it would look good?" Inuyasha asked, grinning. Kagome took a deep breath, tried to be happy that he had thought to buy something so ridiculously grand for her mother. She instantly felt guilty for being angry with Inuyasha, who had simply bought her mother a beautiful present. Smiling genuinely, she hugged Inuyasha.
Inuyasha blinked in her embrace. He had watched her expression slip from anger, which delighted him, to shame, which puzzled him, and to genuine happiness, which befuddled him.
"It would look great on her," Kagome said, drawing back. "She'll be so delighted--"
Inuyasha stopped her with his kiss. What was this woman on? She really thought he would buy diamonds for her mother before her? Her unselfishness rocked him, and made him realize he had fallen deeper than before, if that was possible.
She hummed under him, even forgetting the diamonds under her fingers. Those fingers moved to touch his face. What was scary for her was that the rough scrape of his chin felt much better than the diamonds he had bought for her. She had the sensation of drowning, of going down under. The only difference was that she welcomed this plunging into the unknown.
Inuyasha tore away, grinned at her. She blinked as he clasped the necklace around her neck. The stone blinked from between her breasts. Her fingers came up to feel it, and brought her eyes to Inuyasha's. Then she jumped on him, mindful of her dress. "Don't step on my dress," she mumbled before kissing him deeply. "You… are… a… wonderful… wonderful… man…" she said between kisses.
He grinned at her again, his hand going to the black stone at her cleavage. "I'd like to see you in nothing else but this," he whispered before nipping her jaw line.
"Maybe…" Kagome whispered back, "tonight?"
Inuyasha drew away from her, gaping. Then he gave a snort. "I should have thought of pretty little baubles sooner," he said.
"You know what they say," she said as she gave his lip a nip. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend."
"Damn!" Miroku swore as he swung Sango away from him.
"What's wrong?" Sango asked him concernedly when she twirled back, and he cursed again, silently to himself. He had forgotten her hearing.
"Nothing," he said sweetly. He glanced towards the terrace doors, saw they were open again. Inuyasha and Kagome were heading towards them, and he panicked mildly. He groaned when Kagome caught his eye and waved. He waved back, and Sango turned to smile at her. To Miroku's surprise, Sango didn't falter at the new addition to Kagome's wardrobe.
"Hi!" Kagome said to Sango as soon as she reached her.
"Looks pretty. I'm guessing Inuyasha?" Sango asked, pointing to the obvious, glaring stones.
"Sure was. Who knew he had it in him?" Kagome said amusedly as she gave Inuyasha a sidelong glance. Although Miroku didn't seem to notice, Kagome saw that Sango was distressed with her female's eye.
"Stay here, Inuyasha," Kagome told Inuyasha firmly before taking Sango's arm and leading her away ("What am I? A dog?" Inuyasha muttered). "What's wrong?"
"I like your necklace," Sango said after a pause.
"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed, shocked. "You're jealous of a necklace?" Sango shook her head quickly.
"I'm not jealous! Just… I've realized, he hasn't made any gestures toward me. Not one. And we've been dating for two years. I don't know if I'm just a satisfying romp in bed--" Kagome blushed, "--or if he's in it for the long haul. Oh, stop blushing. You and Inuyasha have probably done the hokey pokey… Several times," Sango said, although she knew for a fact that they hadn't. She felt horrible and slimy for lying.
Inuyasha, if you don't tell her soon, I will.
"We haven't!" Kagome exclaimed indignantly, blushing more. She paused. "Ask him to marry you."
Sango flushed. "I can't."
"Sure you can! 'Hey Miroku! Marry me!' It's probably the best way to get him there."
"It's not that simple. And I'm traditional. The guy should ask me."
"If you were traditional, you would've waited until you were married to have sex."
"Why don't you ask Inuyasha to marry you?" Sango asked quickly.
Kagome nibbled on her lip, cracked a grin. "I can't. I'm a traditional girl."
Ayame swallowed her well-earned punch. She hadn't found the table, but when the crowd parted like the Red Sea, she made like Moses and dashed through before the walls of people crashed on her and smothered her to death. She had found, to her utter luck, the bar. If Uncle Inu found out she was drinking spiked punch, she was in for it. Her dear Uncle Inu was one day going to drive his pups nuts.
She snickered and threw back the rest of the punch. She pushed the cup towards the bartender. "You know," she told him, "I thought there would be a punch table."
"What did you think this was? Prom?" A voice answered behind her. She knew who it was by the scent. The bartender ignored her when she sent him a helpless look. Muttering about how he would get no tip under her breath, she turned away from the bar with her newly refilled spiked punch to meet… God, what was his name?
"No, Cougar, I didn't," Ayame said, sipping her drink, although she had thought of prom.
"That's Kouga," he snapped. Ayame only shrugged.
"Why're you stalking me?"
"I'm not. Just came to get a drink." Cougar or whatever took her glass, turned it until his lips could settle where hers had been, and took a sip. Ayame rolled her eyes, unimpressed, and took the glass back. She wiped off the edge with her hand, scowling with distaste.
"Look, Slick, I'm not interested, so scat."
"It's Kouga," he said again, a little tightly. Ayame waved it off, taking a sip. A heavy hand landed on her shoulder and her nose twitched. Why were the same perverts accosting her today? She looked towards the ceiling for enlightenment, but received none.
"Heh. Finally found you, toots." Grimly, she noticed Kouga's growl before she laid her hand over the sweaty one on her shoulder.
"Looks like you did," she purred, then gave his fingers a little twist. Startled, he jerked back, but his fingers were held fast. She held them tight enough to pain him, but not to break them. She abruptly let go, watched him stumble back.
"Next time, you won't have any fingers after my uncle is done with you!" she called after him gleefully.
All of that, Kouga noticed dully, without spilling a drop from her glass. She turned those startlingly green eyes on him.
"You wanna be next, sweetheart?" she asked lowly, sipping on her punch with an eyebrow raised. Kouga blinked, then grinned with good humor.
"Yeah, I'll be next." Ayame raised her own brow in answer to his, and shrugged.
"Suit yourself." Her hand shot out, not for his hand, but for his throat. She meant to give him a scare, just to wrap her fingers lightly around his throat, but his hand was suddenly around hers, halting her progress.
The next thing she knew, the glass was on the bar counter, and she was dancing with him, her hand still gripped tightly in his.
"Pretty quick," Ayame murmured. Kouga was still grinning.
"I'd like to think so. I'd like to meet that uncle of yours, by the way. "With those beautiful words, Ayame believed she had fallen in love.
Kagome was dancing with Inuyasha, who, surprisingly, had very clever feet.
"You dance very well," Kagome commented. Inuyasha merely grunted. "No, really. I'm surprised." Inuyasha grunted again. Leaning into him, she nibbled on his lower lip. "I find it sexy."
"Izzat so?" he mumbled, smiling slowly.
"Hm… Wanna give me a striptease?" she joked, delighted at the shudder that ran through him as she ran a finger down his soft ear.
"I'll think about it," he replied lowly, letting her scent of chocolate and vanilla overpower his common sense as he gave her a deep, tender kiss. He never did like listening to common sense, anyway.
"Sango's gonna ask Miroku to marry her," Kagome said as she drew away. Inuyasha blinked, trying to get his hazy mind focused again.
"Small world," he mumbled. "Miroku's gonna ask her tonight."
"No kidding?" Kagome asked, drawing back fully. Inuyasha pulled her back, trying to remember what steps came after. He imitated a man that seemed to be dancing okay. Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, drawing in his scent. Suddenly, he stopped dancing and she felt his chest reverberate as he started to growl.
Kagome sighed, pulling back from him, but his arm tightened around her waist and drew her to his side instead.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Inuyasha snarled. She looked up, saw a demon in a white suit, with a fuzzy appendage over his shoulder. She saw the markings on his face, and saw the silver hair that was the same shade and luster as Inuyasha's.
"Is this your new human toy?" Sesshoumaru asked snidely. Kagome stiffened.
"I'm no toy," she snapped before Inuyasha could. Sesshoumaru merely looked at her. He'd kill at poker, she thought.
"Got one with somewhat of a backbone this time," Sesshoumaru said mildly.
"I could say the same for Rin," Inuyasha snapped back, knowing Sesshoumaru thought of Rin only as a pup. As expected, Sesshoumaru frowned, giving Inuyasha a hard glare. Then he shrugged, and changed the subject.
"I hear Naraku is after Father's company," Sesshoumaru said. Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen further against him.
"What's it to you? You already have Tenseiga," Inuyasha said, naming Sesshoumaru's own company.
"It's not enough," Sesshoumaru said tightly before turning and walking away. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as they followed Sesshoumaru, until a punch on his arm jarred him.
"You didn't tell me you had a brother!"
"Half-brother," Inuyasha corrected, but was ignored.
"You didn't tell me Myouga's company was yours! I can't believe this! You're--"
"Whoah. What are you talking about? It was my old man's, but he gave it back to Myouga," Inuyasha said, lifting his hands in defense. Kagome paused.
"Well, Myouga will most likely hand it over to you, won't he?" Kagome snapped.
"… Maybe…" Inuyasha said thoughtfully.
"So was this your secret? Or is there more?" she asked. Inuyasha winced. She was getting mad as a hornet now. He wondered if he should say there was no more. She would believe him.
"No, nothing more. That was my secret."
She didn't believe him. She wasn't stupid. Him inheriting the company was a good thing. Well, if he inherited the company. He was the most likely candidate. And he would have told her about it in a heartbeat if she only asked. And having a brother? He would have told her about him, too, if she had bothered asking.
It killed her inside to know he was lying to her face. What else was he keeping from her?
She remained stiff and unresponsive in his arms, even as they danced. She felt like tearing off the necklace that he had given her and strangling him with it. Mood swings were not her forte. Going from anger to depression in quick five second intervals had to be unhealthy, right?
Inuyasha noticed her stiff posture, how she did everything not to have any body contact. Okay, so he knew the reason for it. He would have to tell her the truth. He gulped. Her wrath wasn't pretty, and it was scary. Amazing how this petite little creature could make him cower.
Gathering himself up mentally, he opened his mouth to tell her, but the figure that suddenly appeared behind Kagome made his breath strangle, as did his stench as it flowed to his nose.
"Nice to see you've found someone to support you through these dark days, Ms. Higurashi."
Kagome turned, had to shudder back the venom she felt for Inuyasha and the instant distaste she felt for this man. She smiled easily, her hand slipping into Inuyasha's.
"And such a nice support he is. What dark days are you talking about though?" Kagome asked innocently.
"I'm sure he is." Naraku smiled coldly at them both, opting to ignore her question. "He did manage to cut off my sales quite a bunch with a conversation he had with one of my former… conquests."
"You know such influential people?" Kagome asked Inuyasha. He grimaced.
"Oh, you don't know?" Naraku gave a delighted laugh. "I guess I'm not the only one with conquests."
"I don't know what? And I'm nobody's conquest," she said, shrugging off Inuyasha's hand when he tried to tug her away.
"He's the influential one, although most of Japan doesn't know who he is. He has his own radio show. And he's been talking about you as 'Kikyou' for--"
"That's enough!" Inuyasha spat out. He tried to pull Kagome away, but she brushed his hand off.
"So you didn't really have an ex named--"
"Oh, he did. Stole her away from me very cleanly."
Kagome was eerily silent, and Inuyasha was tense, his hands curling into fists and then uncurling. He was relieved when she lifted her head, smiled easily at Naraku, and then kissed Inuyasha lightly.
"Why, Inuyasha! I would have done the show with you, if only you'd told me!" Kagome said brightly.
Naraku's eyes narrowed, but he shrugged, still smiling coldly. "Nice party."
"Thank you! But last time I checked, you weren't on the invitation list. No offense meant, of course." Kagome stared hard at him. How had he gotten in? This was an invitation-only party. Naraku started to walk away.
"No offense taken… And I have certain… connections," he said over his shoulder, and seemed to disappear in the crowd. Instantly, Kagome headed for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked.
"Home," Kagome replied tightly, throwing what she hoped was a brilliant smile to an entrepreneur she knew well.
"What? Why?"
"Please tell Myouga I got sick." He grabbed her arm and whirled her around. He blinked at the tears he saw in her eyes.
She quickly turned away, walking with a purpose towards the stairs. Inuyasha followed quickly.
"I thought you were okay with it!" he hissed behind her. She nearly stopped short and slapped him. He had no right to be angry with her!
"I'm not tearing off your butt and handing it to you in front of him. That's what he wants, and I'm not giving him the satisfaction."
Inuyasha was panicking. He saw Miroku, quickly grabbed him by the arm and said, "Tell Myouga Kagome and I left early. Here're the keys. Please drop off the girls." Then he followed Kagome up the stairs, out the doors, and into her car.
She stared at her lap as she willed the tears back. So is this what ultimate betrayal and heartbreak felt like? She wondered brokenly if dying felt any better.
"Get out," she said to him, horrified when her voice broke.
"No." Inuyasha put on his seat belt. "Let's talk." He believed that was the first time he had uttered those words in a relationship. Even with Kikyou.
"Get. Out. I don't want to talk to you."
"Well, tough. What's wrong? What's the big deal? So I'm a shock jock. So--"
"I don't care about that."
"Okay, so I talked about us without you knowing. None of it was bad, and they don't know who--"
"I am mad about that, but not as much as I'm pissed that you lied to my face!" Kagome yelled. She shoved the key into the ignition, and peeled out of the lot.
"So I lied for a moment! I was going to tell you the truth! I didn't want to ruin your evening."
"Well, congratulations, you've failed horribly," she said, thumping the heel of her hand against the wheel.
"I was going to tell you the truth as soon as we got home."
"How can I believe you?" He fell silent in the car as Kagome broke several driving laws. Inuyasha's knuckles were white on his seat belt.
Kagome squealed into her driveway and Inuyasha jumped out of the seat. Kagome slid out of hers, being careful with her dress.
"So now we're dealing with broken trust," Inuyasha said, clarifying the situation.
"Yes. And there's no relationship with no trust." Inuyasha didn't say anything, because he agreed. But losing Kagome was not an option.
"We'll built it again." He swallowed hard, starting to panic.
"Can we?" She looked at him, the tears in her eyes pooling and spilling. Inuyasha didn't answer because he didn't know the answer. Slowly, carefully, she reached behind her neck, and unclasped the necklace. She opened his palm, pooled the diamonds into his hand. He looked with bewilderment at the glinting diamonds in his hand.
"What the…" He felt his chest constrict with fear and panic.
"When you're ready to tell me everything, I'll be here. When… If… you decide you want to, I'll be here. Here's my keys. Drive home, since your car isn't here. I'll call in a favor with Ayame when I need a ride to work or something." She walked to her front door, and went inside, where she thought he couldn't hear her broken sobs.
When the numbness went away, he wasn't sure what he would feel. Maybe sadness. Definitely anger. A little fear. But above all else, he knew he would feel despair. He went to Kagome's door, heard her sobs. He pounded on it, heard her hiccup and yell, "Go away!" He continued to pound until she opened the door, with her make-up ruined. She still looked beautiful to him. His heart constricted painfully. "What do you want?" she asked.
He opened her hand, put the diamonds in her hand.
"I'll get you back. I'll make you trust me again. Wait here, and don't go anywhere. I'll be back, and you'll see," he whispered determinedly. Before she could draw away, he kissed her hard until her resisting body became limp against his. "Don't let Naraku come between us. I won't let him." Kagome gave a little sob, but gave a small nod. Despite everything, she still had faith in Inuyasha.
Inuyasha got into her car, and took off as fast as she had come. He drove to the studio, and although it was closed, he used his claw on the lock.
"Boss man won't mind," Inuyasha murmured as he turned on all the lights and ran to the record room. All the shows they had done were recorded. It would take forever to find his own, but he would do it He rummaged, making sure not to damage anything. Then, when he found his own records after he was sweaty and tired, he scribbled a note on a piece of paper saying, "I borrowed the tapes. Will return them later. --IY."
He ran back out to the car, remembering to turn off the lights and re-lock the door. He hurriedly strapped himself in the car, and saw that dawn was about to break. Was he really in there for that long? God, Kagome was never going to look him in the face again. He tore down the streets toward her house.
Kagome was still crying with her knees drawn up, her chin resting on them. She was sobbing as if… well, as if she had been dumped. But really, didn't she do it? And why was he so adamant about proving himself to her? It was over. He had lied to her.
She shouldn't give him another chance. Her phone rang, and she wiped her tears before picking it up.
"Hello?" she said in a waterlogged tone.
"Kagome, dear, you sound awful," her mother said. Kagome hiccuped, and broke down crying again. "Kagome, what's wrong? What happened?"
"He lied to me, Mama!" Kagome said, reverting to her old name for her mother. "Right in my face!"
"So did you forgive him yet?" her mother asked. Kagome took the phone away from her face, stared at it, then put it back to her ear.
"Excuse me? Mama, did you not hear me? He lied to me," Kagome said.
"And I'm sure you've lied to him many times before." There was silence. "No? Well, let me tell you something, honey. Men lie all the time. They think they can keep secrets. Now all you need to do is talk it out with him. Is he there? Let me speak with him."
"No, he's not here," Kagome said wearily. "Do you really believe that much in my power of forgiveness?"
"Do you love him? I hear from Myouga that you're very attached to this certain young man. I'm delighted for you. You can finally give me grandchildren. Yes, I do believe in your powers of forgiveness, Kagome. I raised you to forgive, to love openly," her mother said in a rush. Kagome struggled to keep up with her mother.
"Yes, I love him. Yeah, I'm quite attached. And I'm not sure about the grandchildren." She gave a watery laugh. "And you raised me just fine, Mama."
"Good. I'm glad you agree. So whom are you going to believe? Some man that showed up at a party he was not even invited to, or the love of your life whom you trusted until you found out he told you one lie?" her mother asked. Kagome paused.
"Well, the answer's obvious isn't it?" Kagome sighed, wiping the last of her tears away and smiling. "Hey, how did you know about Naraku at the party? You're stalking me, aren't you mother?" Her mother chuckled.
"Myouga called when he got worried. He saw you looking distressed and then he saw Naraku later. He put one and one together and got three."
"Um… That's, two Mama."
"No, he thought that Naraku said something that made you want to sleep with Inuyasha more."
"Okay, three it is."
"And of course, being the worried, careful mother that I am, I called to make sure you were okay. I didn't have the same conclusion of course, not when Myouga told me you were on the verge of tears."
"How could he think that I--"
"The number three, darling." Kagome chuckled warmly as she reclasped the necklace around her slim throat.
"Thank you, Mama."
When he arrived, he hopped out with a box under his arm. He rang her doorbell, then just walked in. Or tried to. She had locked the door!
"Kagome, open this door!" he yelled, enraged that she would lock him out.
"No!" He heard her yell back. So she had moved from despair to anger. Okay, anger was something he could handle much more easily.
"Why not? I brought proof, wench!" Inuyasha snapped. "I can open this door by force, or you can open it for me."
"Then by all means, open it by force!" He heard her yell. He looked at the heavy door grimly. Then, he stepped back. He lifted his foot, brought it against her door with tremendous force. The door popped off the hinges like they were made out of Swiss cheese. It swung wildly, precariously, on one sole hinge on the top.
Kagome gaped from her sofa. Then, she got up slowly. She had a dangerous look on her face, and Inuyasha knew he was in for it. Maybe despair was better than anger. And being angry back at her didn't help his situation any. He tried to stand his ground as she came nearer, but he could practically see the flames licking at her ears as she gave him a hard glare.
"You know, I chose, while you were gone, that I would forgive you. That I trusted you more than I did that sleazeball. I also decided that you were going to have a lot of schmoozing to do to me, for what you did. Unfortunately, I didn't equate in that you were a major jerk with an attitude that just doesn't fit with mine, so I would enjoy it immensely if you paid for my door and left." Kagome crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing when he didn't move from his position.
"Do you have a cassette player?" he asked, maneuvering himself around her and going to her couch. When she had said she trusted him more than Naraku, and that she chose to believe him, he felt an immense relief and lightness around him that he had never felt before.
"Did you not hear a word I just said?" Kagome asked shrilly as she followed him. "You broke down my door, and now you're asking for a cassette player?"
"Yes." Inuyasha stood, shoved the box into her arms. She blinked at it, then scowled at him.
"What's this?"
"The shows I did. About you. They're labeled 'Kikyou' on the top. My talks about you were recorded separately. I think my boss had a sick sense of humor," Inuyasha mumbled. Kagome looked into the contents of the box, frowning at the amount of cassettes. She gave Inuyasha a inquiring glance, but then walked to her stereo. She popped in the cassette numbered "one", and Inuyasha suddenly started to fidget. He remembered what he had said on those cassettes, his confessions.
Dammit, he had said he loved her! To strangers! She was going to be hopping mad.
"I'll wait at home. You listen to those and tell me if you've decided to take me back," Inuyasha said. He moved towards the door, wincing as he saw the damage he had done. Replacing it would be the first thing he did in the morning.
"You can fix that now," Kagome said wryly, glancing at the door.
"No I can't. The wood's messed up, so the doorframe will most likely have to be fixed, too. Sorry about this. But you did give me a choice, and I chose."
"Well, next time, I'll ask permission to neuter you," she said darkly and fell silent as the tape started. Inuyasha moved silently outside, feeling as if he had dodged a well-aimed bullet. Silently congratulating himself, he walked to her car, and drove home to await her verdict.
wk: Okay, done. Wow, I have a lot of reviews to go through, which is partially why this chapter came out so late. Another part of why it came out so late is that my Mother has been home a lot lately, and I've been doing house chores instead of writing... Not to mention college started. Whoo! I'm in for quite the year. New Year's Resolution: Improve my writing!
ReViEw oF rEvIeWs:
Yes, silverrowan. Sesshoumaru has shown his face! Finally! Haha. He'll play a major part (I think) in my story as well. Don't you worry your attractive little head about it! (Grins) And I figured Kanna was a given. I might think of a more significant role for her later.
Argh, I completely agree, Emerald Ash. I don't know how they live with abortion. And boy, do I have to change my chapters. I wince every time I re-read them. I thought Kagome's reaction was fitting. She's very forgiving, but she usually has to have some time to mull over it. I just pushed in her mother to make it a little more rapid. (Winces) I hope it wasn't too rushed. And my Christmas was flipping AWESOME! Hope yours was, too!
Well, she got mad, Fushigi Aoi Tenshi, but I hope her reaction was fitting. It's kind of hard trying to figure out what they would have done in the show or the manga or whatever. I'm pretty sure Inuyasha would have reacted differently, but you have to remember: This is without Kikyou in the picture. Well, the real Kikyou, anyhow. Hope you didn't wait too long for this update! Sorry, it was kind of short this time.
I absolutely adore the second movie! Did you watch it? (Sighs) It was so fluffy. I loved itttt... I also like the third one. I'm afraid I watched my friend's downloaded version. Whoops... Ehehe... (Sighs) I'm so bad. Hope I didn't update too late,XxDemonic-PrincessxX. Hope you had a great Christmas!
Her dress does sound J.Lo ish, but here's the crucial difference: She's not bearing it all. Like, her boobs aren't about to pop out of the dress. I was afraid J.Lo's were gonna when I saw her on the red carpet, and I had to keep my eyes closed. I was a prisoner of my own fear, in other words. And colors must've escaped my mind for the men. I was so intent on getting the colors for the women. Males just aren't as important as females, you know, drake220? Except our sexy Inu. But anyways, all the suits are black. I hate gray, and brown just reminds me of poo. Simple black, I thought, was always elegant, no matter what the design. And Kagome, being a true female, will not need the straightjacket. Haha!
Well, Corner Girl, I'm not very much hungry either. Who knew? Usually, I'm the one pigging out. I'm little Miss Piggy. Oink oink.
Right-o, sapphire pink! The three gorgeous hunks of Inuyasha, in other words. (Sighs) I wish I had one of those eyes on me. Alas, it was not to be. (Does a drama-queen pose)
Thanks, inulova4lyfe. This one's kinda short, but I hope it satifies, nonetheless. I didn't have time to fix it up, and time, unfortunately, kind of ran out. I'm already on the next chapter, so I didn't want to spend any more time on this one, you know? Besides, I think it's... okay... the way it is! Thanks for your support!
So sorry, kirei-kitsune13! Sorry I took so long. Hopefully, my next chapter won't take too long, and hopefully, you'll still be with me. Thanks for enjoying my story so much!
Wow. Truthfully, I didn't know I had a style, The Forgotten Child. I just kinda thought I wrote kind of randomly... Or is that the style? Ah, well. I hope you had a great Christmas, too!
Yessiree!Our hunk was one of the three pairs ofeyes,Starrchick101! I'll tell you what you won now... Nothing, but a chocolate chip cookie that will do nothing but go to your thighs! But I hope you continue to read anyway! (Grins)
I had a little less fluff in this one, I think, in light of all the drama, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway, Keiko89. Thanks for reading!
THANKS, InuKag Fan! Glad you're so excited about my story. (Smiles)
I hope you like how I had Kagsie handle it, Touya. And I'm so glad you think it's getting better instead of worse. I love readers like you. I really do. (Smiles)
Well, Inuyasha's-1-and-only-lov, I do believe I left it like that, and unfortunately... (Winces) I wasn't able to update on December 27, 2004. Sorry it took me so long. Hope you're still with me!
Hehe. It was an extended cliffhanger, I suppose, Iced Faerie. I mean, the whole story has been the cliffhanger, kind of, hasn't it? "What's going to happen when Inuyasha tells her? WHEN is he going to tell her?" I figured now was a good time, and I don't think it'll hurt the story. Not what I have planned for it, anyway. If I don't like revealing it now, then I'll simply change it. Hope you liked it though. I'm afraid some people aren't going to like Kagome's reaction to it. We'll see.
Yes, Saiyou The Lover is the winner! You are all winners in my twinkly little eyes! Hope you liked this update. Until next time...!
Haha... Kagome is like Cinderella, isn't she? Only instead of turning back into a pumpkin, she has the lie sprung on her. How exquisitely metaphorical. I applaud you, AngelOfDiamonds. Hope you didn't wait too long for this update. I apologize if you did!
Ohhhh... Wow. Like I said before, you learn something new everyday. Interesting... Thanks, code-wyze!
Hope you liked her reaction to it, Miztical-Dragon. There was devastation an angst, just probably not to the degree that people wanted it. Do you think I should have upped it a little? Or maybe do you think I rushed it too much? Please tell me the honest-to-God truth, because criticism (helpful criticism) makes my day brighter with a better way to write. Wow, I'm cheesy.
I dunno, Tenshi Koneko... I think his ears are a little potent. Hehe, I don't thinkI could resist ears like that. My major weakness: Dogs. Basically why I like these series so much. Add onto it that it's humorous, it's absolutely adorable and loveable, it's action-packed, and you've got the perfect anime. Yummy.
I hope you had a wonderful break, too, ChibiKenshin6490. Although winter break is over for me, and college is back. (Sighs) Wonderful. Pile after pile of work, most likely. Bea-U-ti-FUL. And I'm so glad you think I did good with the tension. That was one of the things I was worrying about. But glad you liked it!
Glad you liked it, o0 DaRkNeSsEz PuRiTy 0o! Well, they belonged to Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kouga... But I'm sure you've figured that out by now, since you've read this update. (Winces and sighs) I'm really repetitive today. Dunno why.
More than pretty good, I think. And to me, waking up at that time is murder. I don't know how you do it. Do you at least take naps during the daytime, Daddy's Pixie? And I used to have nightmares, too. Maybe my solution will help you, too. Now, before I go to sleep, I just think nothing but "Black". Like, instead of wanting to have dreams and ending up with nightmares, I just think "Nothing". After a while, it seemed to work, and I've been sleeping fitfully since I was a little girl. Good luck with that bloody war. Hope I helped out some. And yeahhhh, I did the tired, used-too-much movie cliche thing. I thought it fitting, since he did refer to movies a lot. Hope you liked it anyway.
Well, gothic Inuyasha... You've found out how she handles it. Do you approve? Disapprove? Give me your opinions! And Lord, what is it with you people staying up so late? I think I'd be sleeping on my keyboard, not to mention some drooling on it.
Hope you read my review, Eirliel. I'll do my best to help, but I'm gonna need a little more information. I'm afraid that the chapter's a bit vague. Good, but a bit vague. So, help me out, and I'll help you out. Okay? (Smiles)
Oh, I'm not near the ending. I'm thinking about a sequel, too, although I'm gonna have to plan it out. I think the story will still be okay from now on, although I let out the "Big Kahuna". Hope you stick with me until the ending, shaid!
Glad your lyao, eveilpristess345. (Grins)
I just realized... It's kind of confusing... Inuyasha's reaction, anyway. Crud. I'll explain in the end, I suppose. Thanks for your review! It made me realize my mistake, melissa. Hope things went okay with your friend.
Yep. I'm planning on getting Ayame and Kouga together. I dunno where the old man came from, but... I figured, why not? I already put one cliche into this. Why not two? And I don't thinkher reaction was hilarious, persay... I added a bit of drama to it. Hope you liked it anyway, Lanturn.
Well, inuphoria, after reading your review, I thought of putting both of that into there. Inuyasha loses his nerve, and Kagome finds out by herself. Haha, I know... I put the two things you hoped wouldn't happen, but what can I say? I'm a evil kind of gal. And I'm SO honored you put me on your site. I looked it up, of course, and I loved it! I love your whole site. The layout was absolutely incredible, and it was just the biggest honor being on it. Thanks so much! Hope my story's still on your list of good reads, even after I put the "bad things" into it. (Grimaces) Hehe...
Sorry! It was a filler chapter, sleep walking chicken and HAP, so yeah... it was uneventful. Glad you found it good, nonetheless!Hey, I've been meaning to ask. How did you come up with your name? That is the most original name I've ever seen. Hope I didn't update too late. Thanks for sticking with my story!
Hehe... I put some more drama into this, Nyehaan. I thought although I try to put a lightheartedness into any situation in this story, I thought the love of your lying to you was a bit more serious to laugh at, you know? Still, I hope it wasn't too dark, or anything like that. And yeahhh, I know Kiala! Wow, connections, connections. I happen to know sisters who read this story, too. And I try to have my story as well written as possible. Only the best for the readers!
Been a while, Esther Tan! Or has it only been a while because I took so long to update? Probably the latter. (Sighs) And I tried to have Inuyasha a bit rough but romantic at the same time. Did I fail at it horribly? (Sighs) And I did have Kagome get mad at Inuyasha, but I hope you can forgive me for that! And I will definitely try to read "Agent Under Fire". Who's the author?
Hope you didn't wait too long, binab86!
Yep, I'm setting Ayame up with Kouga. Hope you don't mind, Amunett. And I'll try to keep 'em coming, but just to warn you... College has started again, so I might not have as much time. Meh. Sorry!
Hope you didn't wait too long, SeaBreeze-Yami/Anzu! Glad you liked my fic!
Hehe... Sorry, Mizo Sakura. No can do! I don't even know what I'm going to put in Chapter 13! My writing is soPMS-ey that it changes constantly. Hehe, and you better give your sisters props! The more people that know, the better. Oh, and yes. I had a very Happy New Year's. Hope you did, too!
Hehe... yeah, I was kinda late for the "Merry Christmas" thing. And don't we all wish we were Cinderellas and Sleeping Beauties at heart, PeachesDani? Anyways, hope you had a Happy New Year's!
Well, SadPoetGoth, I'm not sure I write great stories, but I believe I write pretty well. Thanks so much for all you compliments, and I hope you had a Happy New Year!
Hehe... Yes, Inuyasha does think Miroku isSango's bitch, but he doesn't believe any less in Miroku's personality. And Inuyasha finally told Kagome! How do you like how I did it, NefCanuck? And I like Miroku's character in this. I'm not sure how exactly I wrote it, just that I like it.
Oh, I can explain that, blkagome&inu! The reason she says "butt" instead of "ass" is because of what she said: Why say "ass" when she could just say "butt"? In other words, she wants to be insulting without being too hypocritical. Something like that. It sounded good in my head, anyways. (Winces)
Thanks so much, Chat-Chan! So glad you liked my fic so much! I'm not too sure about my "awesome writing technique" or anything about the plot, really, but I'll have to thank you all the same. It's completely flattering, and it fits my big head. And no reviews are forgotten!! ... For the most part, anyway.
Hehe... You know, I don't really remember how I came up with this plot line, flip-x-fantasy. I probably put the cause in a previous chapter. And Kagome blew, but the top was quickly placed back on. Hope you don't mind that too much, and hope you like Kagome's reaction to it. Thanks again!
Hehe, thanks, InuChan FFnet! Hope I didn't update too late for you. I mean, hope you didn't have to wait too long for this chapter. I'm glad you're so excited about my fic though! Thanksssss!!
Hope I updated soon enough for ya, Miyumi-Chan! Thanks for reading!
Yeah, Ayame had a boyfriend. I didn't really make a big deal about it, but the day she showed up at the airport (I believe it was thatchapter) is when she says something about breaking up with him. Sorry! I hope this clarified things, Midnight Miko Maiden!
Well, partially right, and partially wrong. I was searching for a way to satisfy my own urges for her to tell Inuyasha to go to hell, and most of my readers' urges to have her forgive and forget. I hope it worked out okay. Please tell me if you don't think it suits her, or... anything else, silentslayer!
Hehe... I tried to put some humor into this story, since I noticed that some really good stories out there really have no laughs in it. Sometimes it fits, and sometimes I wish I could laugh at certain situations. That's what I tried to do with this story. Try to make a laugh out of any given situation. And I'll most likely do the war angle in my next update, or the one after. Thank you so much for the idea, Fushigi Aoi Tenshi!
Hehe, thanks, me! Hope I updated soon enough for ya!
Frustration... is good... I think... right? Well, the truth came out, and instead of having a cliffie, I decided to put Kagome's reaction in the same chapter. i don't know if that was a tactical error for me, or if... Ah, hell. It's done. Hope you liked it, KantoTheSlayer! Oh, and I meant to make Ayame cute. (Grins)
Glad you liked my story so much, Valese! Hope you continue to enjoy it as much later in the future!
Actually, another reviewer told me it was a radio station in... California, I think? She/he asked me if I knew it, and I don't. I dont live in California, and it was a random number I made up. Apparently, not so random. (Chuckles) And how ironic it's your favorite station, Lady of the Serpents! That's great. Absolutely marvelous.
Well, Shizuka Kaze, I hope you have it figured out by now who the third pair of eyes belong to. If you didn't... Well, we'll have to talk. Haha! Thanks for reading!
No need to apologize, Ryuu no Taiyou! Just glad you read the story, and gave up the time to review. So glad I am!
Surprises, surprises. I do indeed love surprises. And it's good that your sister monitors what you read. I have a younger sister myself, and she gets into so much trouble and michief that I just want to bop her on the head. I love her though, of course, and that's exactly why I do the things I do, abstractxheart. But, she's older now; hardly young enough for me to order around any longer. (Sighs) my slave is gone.
Wow. I've never had anyone who threatened to... er... go midieval on my ass, but I greaty appreciate it, and I would like to congratulate you! You're my first... threatener, Vedan! But anyways, sorry I updated so late. I wasn't exactly stocked up on time. Thanks for reading!
I don't know where that scene came from, honestly. Miroku in a bathrobe just seemed hilarious to me, too, so I put it into the story in a fathomable sense. Hope you liked how Kagome reacted, WiCKeD ScHmoNesS!
Hope I updated soon enough for ya, chibi moon baby!
Haha, glad you like my story, Kagomegirl56. Did you finish reading?
Hehe... the "table-turning" will have to wait until I get my bearings and I know what I'm doing. In any case, I think this was a table-turning event. Don't you think so, KrystalJade? Glad you like my story!
When I read your review, I bopped myself on the head, Drake Clawfang. See, I had already written the chapter out, but if I rad your review sooner, I might have changed it. And Kagome already knows Inuyasha is a hanyou... But I'm pretty sure you meant the Hanyou, the radio personality. I should have done it your way, but there were too many repercussions, and unseen consequences of that. Thank you so much for your suggestion, though! I loved it, and I do hope you continue your suggestions.
Yep, DogDemonKinoke, you're probably right. Inuyasha will probably try to shred Kouga to itty bitty bits. And Kagome did a little bit of both: A little bit of "leave him" to "forgive and forget". Hope that's okay!
Hehe, thanks, tainted17! Thanks for both your compliments, and your anticipation. I hope you like how Kagome reacted!
Thanks, Wake-Robin! And the ending will be happy. I will say that much. I mean, I'm too much of a sap to have it sad. Besides, I don't think death, illness, destruction, etc. really fit in this story. Thank God. Mayhem will have to come another time. Thanks for reading!
wk: Yummy yummy... Gummy in my Belly. Anyways, I'm done with the TRUTH IS OUT chapter. Glad you all liked it, and I hope it was exciting and momentous for all of you. I'm working on the next chapter, but I didn't really like this chapter that much, so I'm not sure what I'm doing exactly in the next chapter to fix up this chapter. I'll think of something. I just need to use... brain power! Thanks for reading you guys, and I can't help but notice... I'm near 400 REVIEWS!!! How AWESOME is that? Absolutely great and wonderful. Nearly had a heart attack when I saw the response to the chapter. Thanks so much guys! I owe the success of this story to you all. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's!
Hm... I do believe I have an issue with you, Anonymous. Dunno if it's a bad issue, or a good issue, but... here goes. I don't like how you sprang this on me. For one, the summary has the words "controversial issues" in it. And it's rated R for a reason. And I wanted to make it as realistic as possible. When you listen to radio shows, the talkers usually have an opinion the listeners don't agree with. Sometimes, I believe, on purpose just to make some conversation. And I can't really put "controversial issues warning" on the previous chapter, because I never know what I'm going to write for the next chapter. And, for some very good reasons, this story wasn't meant to be just a fluffy, good-to-read-when-you're-bored story. And the abortion part was random, as was every subject he brings up, just as every subject that shock jocks bring up really have no basis. And it isn't just an important subject to me, but it's an important subject for everyone to discuss. Hell, we're not even discussing it now. I simply put the subject out there with a practical, fictional discussion about it. I'm sorry if you don't agree with Inuyasha's opinions, or mine, for that matter, but like I said before, it had "controversial issues" in the summary, and was rated R for a reason. Most of the time, rated R stories isn't just fluff and flowers. And I don't want mine to be like that. Wow. I didn't mean for this to be so long, but I just wanted to explain my position. I did not mean this in any offensive way, and I'm sorry in advance if you take it that way. Hopefully, you'll just skip over the parts where Inuyasha talks on his show, and hopefully, you'll come to like the controversial issues, becauseI disagree that it's completely random and doesn't belong in the story. The story was named for the radio show, and how dumb would it be if I didn't even include the show in my story? Completely folly. Thanks for your opinion and advice. However, I'm not sure if I'm going to follow it, for my big-headed, egotistical reasons.
Anyways, just had to respond to it. Like I said, it wasn't meant in any offensive way, although I do have to admit my big ego was a bit bruised.