Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters.
Chapter Six: Night of the Engagement Party
Inuyasha sat on his bed. It was an hour away from the party and he was ready to go. He had to go pick up Kikyo, but he didn't want to go right away.
Inuyasha sighed as his thoughts turned to Kagome. He wanted to stop thinking about her, but everything seemed to remind him of her. He was beginning to feel a bit jealous towards Sesshomaru.
'But what do I care?' Inuyasha thought to himself.
'Because I still love Kagome,' Inuyasha's mind argued.
'No way, I can't be in love with her.'
His thoughts were interrupted when the door was opened. His mother, Izayoi, stepped inside.
"Inuyasha," Izayoi said carefully. She looked at her son and noticed his troubled expression. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah mom," Inuyasha replied casually. "I'm doing ok, nothing to worry about."
"Don't try to lie to your mother," Izayoi rebuked sharply. "I can tell whenever you're troubled."
"Then why'd you ask?" Inuyasha retorted, but then flattened his ears when his mother glared at him.
"I know that you're thinking about Kagome."
Inuyasha's protest died on his lips when he glanced at his mother and noticed that she was looking at him keenly.
"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. "It doesn't matter."
"I think it does matter. Inuyasha, are you blind? I know you still love Kagome. You can deny it all you want, but your heart still belongs to her. You have a lot of pride, all dog demons do, and I respect that. However, don't let your pride be an obstacle to your own happiness."
Inuyasha was about to deny what his mother had said when she stood up and left the room.
"Just think about what I've said Inuyasha," his mother said before she closed the door.
'She's wrong,' Inuyasha stubbornly thought to himself.
With that in mind, he went off to pick up Kikyo.
Meanwhile, Kagome sat in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection. She had changed into her dress earlier and was now adding a touch of clear lip gloss to her lips. She had on a pair of diamond earrings and a white gold bracelet. She had decided to let her hair stay down.
Kagome sighed when she looked at herself. The makeup covered up the circles that were under her eyes. She had stayed up late the night before, being nervous and thinking about Inuyasha. She didn't understand how he could've done that to her. Kagome did love him and she was ashamed to admit, that despite his betrayal, she still loved him. She still loved him, but maybe from a distance now.
Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when her doorbell rang downstairs and the maid came up to tell her that Sesshomaru had arrived. Kagome nervously checked her reflection one more time and straightened her dress before heading downstairs.
The maid had invited Sesshomaru into the living room and he was sitting contentedly on the sofa. When she stepped into the room, he stood up quickly and handed her a bouquet of roses. She was surprised at his actions and blushed when she accepted them.
Sesshomaru then led her to the door and helped her get into his limo. The ride there was quiet. Sesshomaru behaved in the same stoic manner as he always did, with the exception of the flowers earlier. Kagome wondered if she could ever get used to being the wife of a cold and silent man.
Luckily they arrived at the mansion in a short time period. Kagome was getting really nervous because of the quiet atmosphere in the limo. She was glad when the limo came to a stop at the entrance and the door was opened for them. Sesshomaru held out his hand to help her out and Kagome took it reluctantly. She was still getting used to the idea of being engaged to this man.
Sesshomaru took Kagome's arm and led her to the entrance of the mansion. Light flooded Kagome's senses as she was greeted by the scene of hundreds of people chatting idly and simply relaxing.
Sesshomaru led her over to his father and mother, who were standing near the table with drinks, talking to the guests.
"Mother, Father," Sesshomaru greeted his parents respectfully when they were near enough.
Inutaisho and Izayoi turned their attention to Sesshomaru, until they saw Kagome standing next to him. Inutaisho admired the determined look on the girl's face as she stood by Sesshomaru. Izayoi looked at Kagome with a look of sympathy etched on her face. She deeply felt that Kagome should've been with Inuyasha instead of Sesshomaru.
Kagome bowed her head politely and quickly asked whether her grandpa had already arrived.
"He should be somewhere nearby," Inutaisho replied. "We'll make the announcements when he comes."
Inutaisho then nodded his head and led his wife to greet other guests. Kagome stood awkwardly next to Sesshomaru.
"Do you want to dance?" Sesshomaru asked her politely.
Kagome nodded her head and took his hand. She wanted to do anything to avoid the awkward silence between the two. The music was soft and the soft movement allowed her nerves to calm down. They were dancing slowly when someone bumped into Kagome and knocked her into Sesshomaru.
Kagome turned around to see who had bumped into her when her eyes fell on the sight of Kikyo…and Inuyasha. They were dancing too, but Kikyo didn't seem to care that she bumped into Kagome.
"Apologize," Sesshomaru ordered Kikyo.
Kagome looked at Sesshomaru with a shocked expression on his face. She then turned when she heard Inuyasha growl.
"She doesn't have to do anything," Inuyasha growled at Sesshomaru.
"She will if she knows what's good for her," Sesshomaru answered coldly. "I warn you Inuyasha, neither of you had better consider crossing my path or my fiancée's."
Inuyasha was furious at the comment and glared at him. However, Sesshomaru turned his cold, piercing eyes on Kikyo and silently challenged her to not apologize to Kagome. Sesshomaru disapproved of the girl and knew that she was simply after their family money. He didn't want Inuyasha to associate with that type, but he could care less if Inuyasha was too blind to see it himself.
Kikyo was frozen on the spot when Sesshomaru turned his attention to her. Her attention snapped back when she suddenly realized that he was waiting for her.
"I'm…sorry," Kikyo mumbled. She was angry that she had to be lowered in front of Kagome like that.
Kagome was still shocked at Sesshomaru's actions and possessiveness. She merely nodded and followed Sesshomaru when he made his way over to his father.
Kagome noticed that her grandpa was in a conversation with Inutaisho and Izayoi and guessed that they were probably ready to announce the engagement.
Inutaisho stepped up to a podium that had been prepared earlier and cleared his throat. The orchestra stopped playing and the guests turned their attention to him.
"My dear guests," Inutaisho began. "I welcome you all here today in honor of my son Sesshomaru Taiyoukai and the lady Kagome Higurashi. Due to personal matters, the engagement between my second son, Inuyasha Taiyoukai and Kagome Higurashi has been canceled. However, due to the circumstances in which the Taiyoukai company and the Higurashi company wish to stay merged, both of our families have agreed to allow my first son to marry the heir to the Higurashi company, Kagome. I propose a toast in light of their engagement."
Inutaisho raised his glass while the guests followed suit. Sesshomaru then placed a platinum diamond ring on Kagome's ring finger to signify that they were engaged. He then lightly kissed Kagome on the cheek for appearance's sake. Kagome shuddered slightly from the contact and really wondered if she would regret her decision.
Inuyasha didn't move his glass. A deep pang of jealousy hit him in the chest when his father had announced the termination of his engagement to Kagome and her new engagement to Sesshomaru. He glowered at the couple while they both seemed oblivious to his glaring eyes.
Sesshomaru then led Kagome back to the dance floor and she had to force herself to dance with him. She didn't particularly enjoy dancing with Sesshomaru. Although he looked handsome enough, his cold exterior seemed to provide a barrier for her.
From the corner of her eyes, she spied Sango dancing with Miroku. They seemed like such a happy couple that Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit jealous towards their happiness.
Kagome sighed and placed her chin on Sesshomaru's shoulder. She still felt vulnerable and her emotions were still raw from her recent relationship. She used her eyes to scan the crowd for any sign of Inuyasha and Kikyo. She found no trace of them and a wave of relief as well as disappointment swept over her.
When Inuyasha had seen them step onto the dance floor, he had grabbed Kikyo's arm and told her that they would leave the banquet early. Kikyo took a look at his stern features and didn't dare protest. He dropped her off at her house and then drove to the beach.
When he arrived, he took off his outer jacket and his shoes and sat on the sand. The rolling waves provided some comfort for him, but the image of Kagome and Sesshomaru was still fresh in his mind and he couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in his chest when he thought of them.
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