Summary: Pretend to be happy. Pretend to not care. But most of all, pretend to not love someone, when really, you do.

Warning: Lemon at the end of the story. (Last change of Point of View) If you do not like that type of stuff. . . do not read this story. Otherwise. . . please do not complain to me about it. Thank you and have a nice day.

Disclaimer: I do not own anybody in the InuYasha cast. Nor do I own the song "You Look So Fine" which was sung by the group Garbage (don't ask. . . )

"Pretend"

The din of the auditorium pounded on my eardrums. Penetrating me. Exciting me. I reached for the microphone, preparing for what I knew may lay ahead.

"Kagome, five minutes till show time! Get ready!" I hear Rin Sano, the newly directed stage director, tell me. I made my way slowly to the side of the curtain where another act was finishing. Against my own bitter judgment, I looked out. Out into the crowd of many faces.

But I only saw one.

"C'mon! Hurry up! Principal Kaede's announcing you!" Rin rushed me toward the stage where I stood as I heard our elderly principal's voice.

"... And now, next in our annual talent show, is Miss Kagome Higurashi!"

Whether the crowd cheered for my arrival, or Principal Kaede's departure was beyond me. All I knew, all I know, is what happened once I stepped foot on stage.

I stepped center stage, the microphone held firmly in my hand. Turning toward the stage group, unnoticed by the crowd, I motioned for them to start the music.

Softly, the music began. All eyes were on me, but only one person mattered. I whispered, but not so the mic would catch it, "This song, InuYasha, is for you."

Inu Point of View

"Inu-baby! How did you like my song?" I rolled my eyes, but to keep her happy, I smiled. "It was wonderful, Kikyo, better than the rest." As I said, to make her happy.

Kikyo latched onto my arm, a not-so-innocent smile appearing on her face. "Can you guess who's up next?" Her voice was deceiving, hate-filled. I knew, yet I asked anyway.

"Who?"

Her eyes glinted. "Kagome."

Suddenly, the lights dimmed considerably as Principal Kaede came out onto the stage. "Thank you, Kikyo, for your lovely performance," a few people in the back row coughed, "But we're not finished! And now, next in our annual talent show, is Miss Kagome Higurashi!"

Slowly, she stepped onto the stage, the spotlight following her the whole way to center stage. She stood there, her head downcast, till the music started. That's when I heard it. Had I not been close to the stage, had I not been listening as attentively as I was, I would not have heard it.

"This song, InuYasha, is for you."

With that, I took off. Off to watch her from somewhere she'd never suspect.

Kag Point of View

The beat came quickly, and so my voice took flight as the words, the words that had so much feeling, so much depth, came out of my mouth.

"You look so fine. I want to - break your heart, and give you mine. You're taking me over."

I began to close my eyes as I sang, memories flooding back to me like a raging waterfall. Even so, I kept on singing, even as I relived my saddened past.

Memory Scene One

"It's so insane . . . "

"InuYasha! InuYasha! Don't go!" I yelled, my voice drowning out as Kikyo and her so called 'friends' laughed.

His eyes softening, InuYasha tried to speak up. "Kagome, I didn't - "

But Kikyo stopped him. "Just go. He doesn't want you anymore. You were just a toy. Now go, you slut."

And so, I did. I ran, ran like hell away from them. I never wanted to see him again. But he was always on my mind, whether I wanted him to be or not.

Kag Point of View

And so I sang, over my memories, over the tensed silence, over my fears of rejection. I sang on. No one stopped me, no one blinked. For a moment, I wasn't sure if anyone breathed.

"You've got me,

Tethered and chained.

I hear your name,

And I'm falling over."

Memory Scene Two

"I'm not like all the other girls.

I can't take it like the other girls.

I won't share it like the other girls

That you used to know."

"Hey InuYasha? What's wrong?" I asked my best friend, my secret crush, as he sat underneath the willow tree, his head downcast, his long silver-tinted mane thrown about haphazardly. Most people, girls more than likely, would call it 'dangerously attractive.' Me? I know the signs; something's wrong.

InuYasha looked up, his golden eyes shadowed by his bangs. "My father called the school about twenty minutes ago, and told them to tell me something. You wanna know what he told them to tell me?" InuYasha looked up, his eyes brimming with tears, "My mother's dead, Kagome! And he couldn't fucking come and tell me himself! He . . . he couldn't . . . "

InuYasha broke down crying in front of my very eyes. I was scared. "I... InuYasha?" I fell to my knees, "Oh, InuYasha, I'm so sorry. Your dad . . . your dad probably just didn't know what to do . . . but he -"

I felt a hand placed on my lips, silencing me instantly. "Kagome, it's not your fault. None of it. Don't make excuses for my ass of a father either," I looked at him as he said this, curious eyes bearing into his.

"Kagome," he said my name again, his voice softer this time, "you're different. Any other girl would've taken this chance, my weak point, to get laid. Why haven't you? Most girls . . . ugh . . . most girls would."

I looked him straight in the eye, a soft smile upon my face, "InuYasha, I thought you knew. I'm not most girls. I want you to trust me. If I used your weak point to my advantage, we probably wouldn't be friends afterwards. You'd lose faith in me. InuYasha, I wouldn't do that to you."

For a few moments, it was silent as he looked at me, taking in all of what I had said. Then slowly, he reached over and touched my cheek, stroking it gently.

"Kagome," he began, not breaking eye contact with me, "I'm so glad that you're you."

And with that, he kissed me.

"You look so fine . . . "

Kag Point of View

Tears were beginning to stream down my face as I sang, giving my face a glittery sheen to the audience. My only thoughts: 'Why, InuYasha, why?'

Memory Scene Three

"Knocked down,

Cried out,

Been down,

Just to - find out.

I'm through,

Bleeding for you."

"Hey Kagome . . . !" I turned toward the voice; one I knew, but disliked greatly: Kikyo Mihoshi, the biggest slut in all of Ga Ohouru Senior High.

I rolled my eyes as she approached me. "What do you want, Kikyo?"

She looked at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How are you? I mean, your relationship with InuYasha, of course. Rumors are he's been cheating."

I felt my heart stop just then. I'd heard the rumors, but I hadn't believed them. Why would InuYasha, my InuYasha, cheat on me?

"We're doing fine, but what's this about him cheating on me? I believe I've missed that particular rumor," I tried to be civil, as civil as humanly possible, that is.

But nooo . . .

Kikyo flipped her hair out of her face, "I think he is, personally. But you never know," she smirked violently, "he might not be."

And with that, she left, left me with a wounded heart and a pondering mind. I don't know if he was, but I knew something was amiss. All I know . . . was that I stood there for quite a while, because I didn't even hear the footsteps approaching me.

"Kagome! Hey . . . Kags!" a voice pulled me out of my thoughts: Sango's. I turned to face her. Sango's face was distraught with emotion, and ones that I did not care to recognize.

I blinked the tears back that had formed in my eyes over the past few minutes, racing toward my best friend. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Sango stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes bearing into me with a grim expression. "C'mon, I think you need to see this."

I looked at her quizzically, but followed her nonetheless. The route we took was familiar to me. It was the way toward the gym, but the reason why she wanted me to come here was still a question in my mind.

"Why . . . " I began, but she turned and motioned for me to quieten as we neared the entrance of the gym.

Sango nudged the door open, not one sound escaping from the barriers of the doors . . . until you opened it.

"Oh . . . oh God . . . InuYasha. !" It was Kikyo's voice. My eyes watered. It was true.

I quietly closed the door . . . and waited. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, before InuYasha came out . . . alone.

"Ka . . . Kagome!" were the only things that stuttered out of his mouth. I stood up, my eyes narrowed, glaring at him through and through.

I gritted my teeth. "How could you? How . . . COULD YOU!" I yelled, tears now streaming down my face. InuYasha stepped back. "What . . . do you mean?"

With that statement, I slapped him, hard. As I began to walk away, I thought of something, and turned back.

"It's over InuYasha. Over."

Kag Point of View

The background chorus kept singing as I just stood there, the tragic memory vivid in my mind.

"I... I'm sorry . . . everyone," I said quietly into the mic, white-hot tears pouring down my face as I ran off of the stage, dropping the microphone noisily along the way.

Inu Point of View

"Damn it! Let . . . me . . . in . . . !" I yelled as I tried to push my way past my older brother.

Sesshoumaru looked at me with an amused expression. "I don't think you need to, little brother. Kagome deserves better than you."

I stopped struggling. "I know I fucked up, Sesshoumaru, I know. But, I realize my mistake. Kikyo may have been good for a screw, but she's no Kagome. When Kagome told me it was over . . . I broke down. Nobody listened to my side of the story. The only reason I stayed with Kikyo is, well, is because she looks so much like Kagome."

I began to walk off, not even waiting for his reply, when I was pushed to the ground in a tight embrace. In all honesty, I don't know what surprised me more: the fact that I was tackled to the ground, or who it was who had tackled me.

"Kagome," I whispered breathlessly, as I closed my eyes, my arms now wrapped around her waist lovingly. For hours, it seemed, we just laid there, basking in the reality that she knew I still loved her, and to each the same. But something so good, never, lasts forever.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lead me to believe I wasn't good enough, InuYasha? Tell me! Why?" Kagome yelled at me through her tears.

I just laid there, sprawled on the ground, contemplating her question. Why? Why hadn't I told her? I could have . . . , couldn't I?

Sitting up gently, I placed Kagome on my lap, making it so she straddled me. "I didn't tell you, because I couldn't. God knows I wanted to. But I couldn't. Kikyo . . . she hung onto me like a lonely, abused puppy. Pathetic really. I was afraid to call you, afraid of what you would say to me. And to be honest? I was afraid Kikyo was tracing my phone calls. Every time I got on the phone . . . there was this funny tapping noise . . . " I stopped there for the moment, to tap on Kagome's head lightly for emphasis. She giggled in response. It made me happy, to know that she was comfortable around me still, that she still trusted me, at least a little bit.

All too quickly, though, her eyes softened; a sadness surrounding them. "Then why didn't you write to me? An e-mail, snail mail, something . . . ?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I honestly hadn't thought of that. Now I remember why I liked her so much. Honest, trustworthy, beautiful, and smart.

"Heh . . . I hadn't thought that far . . . " I guess I shouldn't have said that . . . for the next thing I knew, my head hurt a great deal.

"Owie . . . " I moaned, "Kagome, have you been taking Karate or something? Cause, damn! That hurt!"

She nodded slightly, "I had to relieve my anger. Without you around anymore, I had no one to hit on."

I smirked, leaning closer to her. "You had no one to hit on? Well, I can fix that." Kagome's eyes were the size of saucers, but she got the hint as I captured her lips with my own.

I felt Kagome gasp as I kissed her, and I slid my tongue into her mouth, exploring every part of her, the way I hadn't since she and I broke up. I felt her arms wrap around me, and then . . .

There was applause.

Breaking apart, we looked at each other with curious eyes, as it dawned on us both.

"The talent show."

Kag Point of View

As soon as the words had escaped from the lips of InuYasha and I, we ran for it. We ran toward the auditorium where InuYasha had exited, and as I walked it, I got an even greater surprise.

"... And there she is now! The winner of this year's Annual Talent Show by a unanimous vote, Miss Kagome Higurashi!" came the elderly voice of Principal Kaede. I looked to the stage, my eyes wide with fright and surprise. Under normal circumstances, I do not get stage fright, but I knew what they would ask . . . they would ask me to finish the song.

"Go."

I turned sharply to the voice behind me. "InuYasha? W.. Why?"

He smiled softly. "Because . . . I wanna know how you felt . . . feel . . . whatever the hell you were saying . . . about me. Besides . . . I gotta break up with Kikyo," he finished gruffly, and I smiled, heading up to the stage, InuYasha, toward Kikyo, his last goodbye.

Inu Point of View

I walked to Kikyo, my heart filled with guilt. I knew I had to break up with her, I knew I loved Kagome, and disliked her with a deep passion, but still . . . I felt guilty. I don't know why.

"Inu-baby?" Screw the guilt trip. I hate that God-forsaken nickname.

"Kikyo, I know this is sudden, but I can't be with you anymore. I'm . . . sorry. Goodbye." And with that said, I walked away, before she could say anything. I looked back, and she was crying onto her friend, I heard a few murmurs containing why InuYasha and he's a bastard, he doesn't deserve you. Maybe I don't, or maybe . . .

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Kagome has decided that although she has won the first place trophy, she wants her best friend and runner up, Miss Sango Mayako, to sing and finish her winning song. Isn't that right?" Principal Kaede looked over to where I was standing, and I was surprised to find, that Kagome was standing next to me, smiling and nodding as well.

"Well then, I hope you enjoy this as well. Good luck on whatever you have to do that you cannot sing for us tonight, Kagome!" The crowd erupted into applause as she made that exclamation for Kagome, and continued for Sango, letting us take our leave.

I could hear Sango talking as we exited the building, I guess she was making a speech . . . was it gratitude? Who knows? Maybe it's a story. As we walked out, I thought of something.

"Kagome, where are we going?"

She looked at me, eyes soft, and pulled me into her car, her slamming the door behind me. Parked near the entryway, you could hear the sound of music playing, and voice singing a soft song. I would have listened, if not for the lips that came crashing down on mine. I heard the lyrics, and I felt what she wanted. I knew . . . how she had felt all these day we had been apart.

I'm open wide.

I want to -

Take you home.

We'll waste some time.

You're the only one for me.

Kag Point of View

"You look so fine.

I'm like the desert tonight.

Leave her behind.

If you want to show me."

I had wanted this for so long. So many nights going without him. So many nights dream about him. And now . . . here he is, with me. Never did I think . . . never in my wildest dreams did I think it was possible for him to still love me. But . . . he does.

"I'm not like all the other girls.

I won't take it like the other girls.

I won't fake it like the other girls

That you used to know . . . "

My lips crashed onto his mere seconds after I slammed the door shut. The song lyrics echoing in my head, I knew he got it too. Just the severity of the look in his eyes was enough for me. Torture, it was, pure pleasurable torture.

One of his hands slipped under my shirt, and I knew where he was going. I felt his cold hand touch my breast, and a chill ran down my spine. His voice filled my ear,

"Touch me, my love. Tell me you love me. Don't hold back anything." His voice was husky, passion-filled.

"You're taking me over . . . "

"InuYasha . . . !" his hand had reached underneath my skirt, rubbing against my womanhood, splitting my legs. I was getting wet, getting aroused, and he knew it.

"Over and over . . . "

Somehow, in the midst of all this, he had gotten my shirt off, and his as well. But I didn't mind. The sight of his chest, muscular to say in the least, sent me chills of arousal.

"I'm falling over . . . "

I kissed his mouth, then his neck, making a trail to his stomach, which I knew from experience was sensitive to the touch. "K.. Kagome . . . don't!" was his plea of pleasure as I kissed around his navel, swirling my tongue, making him buck and squirm.

"Over and over . . . "

Suddenly, I found myself pinned to down, InuYasha on top of me, breathing huskily into my ear. "You . . . you don't know what you are doing to me . . . do you? My Kagome . . . my lovely, lovely Kagome . . . "

"Loving me . . . one more time . . . "

I shook my head, an act that my brain did on its own, for I was sure I had no use of it now. I felt my bra being undone, and a wisp of cold air hit my bare chest. I shivered, and InuYasha noticed. He brought his lips down onto my once more for a breathtaking kiss, and once more, I forgot about everything . . . the world around me . . . didn't matter as much.

"Hide inside . . . me tonight . . . "

When I felt my pants slide down, knowing I was naked in front of InuYasha, and becoming aware of the situation, for some reason . . . I didn't care. InuYasha looked me in the eye right then, his golden eyes blazing, and without any words, I knew what he was asking. Without a seconds notice, he was naked as well, in all his glory, and I had never been so happy, to be with my InuYasha.

"Take what you . . . want to do . . . "

His lips brushed mine, and our body's embraced. I felt his arousal against my core, and I know I must have moaned against his mouth. "I... InuYasha . . . please . . . " I begged him. All I wanted, was to be one with him tonight. If only for tonight was my wish, then so be it. I would be happy for the rest of my life.

"Let's pretend . . . happy end . . . "

"K.. Kagome . . . are . . . "

I hushed him no sooner than he had begun his question. A nod was all that I had given as reply, and I felt him enter me, and I wanted to scream out, for the pain was excruciating. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, for as soon as I did, InuYasha moved began to slide out . . . and made the move in again.

"Let me know . . . let it show . . . "

I was in bliss.

I met InuYasha stroke for stroke as he pumped in and out of me. I felt the pressure rise at the bottom of my stomach, and for some reason, I knew I wouldn't last much longer.

"I... InuYasha . . . oh god . . . InuYasha . . . faster!"

He complied with no words, but sped up to an inhuman speed, kissing me fiercely everywhere he could. His lips finally way to my face, moaning my name in the climax of lovemaking. But we were not finished.

"Ending with . . . letting go . . . "

"Gods, Kagome . . . what . . . what have you done to me..?" InuYasha yelled out, increasing his speed once more.

"I... InuYasha!" I yanked onto his hair, the drive of him finally sending me over the edge . . . and me sending him over the edge as well.

I heard his heavy breathing . . . and then, I felt his seed explode into me, a warmth spreading all over my body. InuYasha collapsed on top of me, and then rolled slightly over, so I could breathe easily.

"Kagome?"

I looked over at him, my eyes glazed over, nearing sleep, "Yeah, Inu?"

"I love you."

All I could do was smile. "I love you too, InuYasha." And I always will.

"Let's pretend . . . happy end . . . "

AU: Hello Hello! This is Shuurei Ketsurui, also known as rubychik09! For some odd reason my old account got deleted... I am trying to get everything back up and running, along with all my old stories back together. I have most of my stories... I think. I'm still checking. Either way, I'm going to be doing some editing on them. Till then!

Thanx,
Kaiya