Oh noes. I'm here for chapter two. :O Yes, yes the InuYasha-tachi will finally come into play here! You didn't think I'd do an InuYasha fanfiction without them, did you? Psh. And yes, I may give into temptation and make a couple sentences implied MiroSango-ness. Haha.
Chapter Two: Advice
"Sit! Sit, sit, sit, sit…SIT!"
It had been a very long day and the future-era girl could only handle so much, being drained both emotionally and physically. She didn't need smart-ass, know-it-all comments coming from the white haired half-demon. It just wasn't needed and though everyone made it painfully obvious, the owner of said smart-ass comments couldn't help but say them. Sometimes, they really wondered what exactly was inside that head of his. Kami knew he was awfully dense for being someone who seemed to have so much more potential than he let on.
"What was that for, Kagome!" His voice had an immature ring to it as well, making the others really wonder about him. Their wonderings, of course, were only in play and they all knew that he was just a little clueless at times. No harm, no foul. Though said half-demon did tend to get a little tiring at times. He seemed to complain a lot and say the worst things and the worst possible times. A certain brunette taijiya always asked herself how Kagome could manage to put up with such a guy, nonetheless care for so deeply. That only brought thoughts of how she managed to put up and "care for deeply" a guy who was a lecherous monk. Woe is them; the troubles of being a young girl, trying to figure out their feelings.
"You know very well what it was for!" At the dumb, offended look the male gave her, the girl from the future turned her back to him. "I'm going for a walk. I need to clear my head." Her voice seemed to have certain angriness that everyone was all too familiar with, even the half-demon. In fact, he was the most familiar with it since when she said things in that tone, they were usually directed at him.
Giving up for now, the silver haired half-demon shrugged and munched on the rest of his fish until suddenly…it was gone. He went to steal a certain fox demon's but his name was soon being shouted at him and he was forbidden from getting anymore food in the giant pit that was his stomach. Groaning, he looked up to the person who had called his name and shot a glare which was meant to tell them not to disturb them. Unlucky for the half-demon, the person who had shouted his name was an extremely stubborn person.
"InuYasha! Go after her! You know that a small apology from you will help. Even if you don't mean the damn apology, say it to her. We don't need more tension and stress on this journey of ours."
"You owe me for doing this."
"Owe you! I'm helping you so technically, you owe me!" A frustrated groan emitted from the lips of the taijiya and she sighed heavily, shaking her head somewhat. "Somehow I wonder how I've honestly put up with him for this long. Just imagine poor Kagome." Becoming quiet after that, she finished off her fish and her chocolate orbs watched the dancing flames before them.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're really talking about InuYasha, Lady Sango."
The monk's voice beside her gave her a fright and she jumped some, but soon regained her composure. "I'm sure you would wonder that, you lecherous monk." And so began a typical night of the InuYasha-tachi…
Letting a long and deep breath exhale, dark eyes searched the starlit sky for answers. Kagome had managed herself to the edge of the forest and found a nice seat atop a decent sized boulder. Sitting there, her legs pulled up against her chest, she rested her chin upon her knees and watched the stars. Why did stars have to be so breath-taking, even when one has seen them every day of their life? The now sixteen-year old always tried to find the answers in the stars yet every time she did, they failed her. It never brought her hopes down and it never caused her to stop searching them. They were gorgeous and Kagome loved every last one. It's been a year since I met InuYasha on that fateful day. A year…Had it really been that long? She supposed it had.
Things had long since changed since she first witnessed InuYasha pinned to the Sacred Tree by an arrow. A part of Kagome secretly wished this journey would never end because, deep inside, she feared for the future. What would happen afterwards? Would she just return home, occasionally visiting on vacations? The people she was traveling with now soon came to be the most cherished people in the girl's heart, save for her three dear family members at home. The purifier did not feel complete without her comrades at her side. And this is why I never think of the future…stupid. It's stupid. Deciding just a few hours later that the interruption of her thoughts would predict the future for a certain wolf demon, Kagome was glad that she was interrupted when it actually happened.
"Kagome!"
To hear the shout of her name, said girl's first thought had been that it was InuYasha but when it shouted again, the thoughts in her head completely shifted. That wasn't her favorite half-demon…it was said favorite half-demon's arch rival. Despite Kouga being her friend, things never ended well when he came to visit. Suddenly appearing in front of the boulder Kagome sat on, the male wolf demon gave her quite a fright. Waving his hand, his thumb, index, and middle fingers up, he waved to her. "Yo."
"K-Kouga! You frightened me!" Sliding down off the boulder, Kagome came to an abrupt stop right in front of said frightener and looked up to him, a curious look about her. What in the world was he doing here? Especially at night…something had to be up. If Kagome were to be finding out anytime soon, that dream was soon shattered by another shout. This shout actually happened to belong to the male that Kagome had first thought of.
Pushing a bush roughly out of his way, bare foot hit the grass with loud crunches as he stomped over to the wolf demon and female human, a scowl on his features. The arms of the half-demon were folded over his chest, not very happy (obviously) to see that the wolf demon had come for a visit. InuYasha, being one with a rather keen sense of smell, had smelled the scent of Kouga while he was on his way to apologize to Kagome. At the sudden wolf scent entering his nostrils, InuYasha had sped up his trek to make sure Kouga didn't try anything, seeing as how he would be alone with Kagome. Luckily he arrived just moments after the raven haired male had and could prevent anything from possibly going on. Walking up to stand beside Kouga, acting as if the wolf demon wasn't even there, he watched Kagome.
"Kagome, I need to talk to you."
"I don't believe we invited you, mutt-face. Besides, I was here first and I need to speak with Kagome."
"I wasn't talking to you, you stupid wolf! What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"
"I see your brain follows after your breed: half. I already said that I came here to speak to Kagome."
"Well Kagome doesn't want to speak to you! Isn't that right, Ka- …Kagome? Where'd you go?"
"Oh, now look what you've done! You've lost her!"
Both males were too dense and caught up in their own insane bickering to notice that they hadn't lost Kagome, only that she had ambled back up onto the boulder in order to both get away from them and to just assume a more comfortable position since her feet happened to be aching from all the walking they had done. Sighing slightly, she pulled her legs up slightly and rested an elbow on one of her knees, in return allowing her chin to be placed in her palm. Sometimes she surprised herself at how much she had put up with these two. It always seemed to get old when they bickered like this and on the contrary, she was getting fed up with it. After a while, though, she figured fretting over that would do no good and so she wondered what in the world Kouga was doing here. It was late at night and Kouga usually didn't visit them to just talk to Kagome. Pursing her lips, her head perked up and she looked down to the males who still seemed to be wondering where she was.
"Kouga? I'd actually like to know what you've come to speak with me about." The female replied simply and sweetly, not really caring that InuYasha had come to talk as well. Though she would be happy with the currently unknown to her apology, she could wait a while before it happened. After all, as Kouga stated, he was here first and besides, Kagome didn't see much of him nowadays and her curiosity shot through the air when he had come this night.
Both of the demons perked their heads up, a smug look upon Kouga's face and a rather confused scowl upon InuYasha's. Apparently the half-demon was not used to being second though he settled for it often (his density probably caused him to be oblivious to this fact). Folding his arms over his chest, InuYasha turned his body slightly so he was facing away from both Kouga and Kagome; he had no interest in what Kouga had to say. Despite this, though, one ear perked up and faintly listened to what Kouga would say to the modern-day female.
"Kagome…I've come to ask you to finally be my woman. Once and for all."
Several moments of silence passed before suddenly a 'kyaa!' was sounded from a female and a very angry 'what!' was sounded from a male.
InuYasha, who had turned his body away, suddenly spun back around to glare at Kouga. Kagome, on the other hand had slid down the boulder and watched Kouga incredulously. Had they heard what they just thought they heard? Sure, Kouga had always said that Kagome was his woman but this time he had asked. Not only that, he was completely serious and neither disbelieving person had any reason or room to ask: You're joking, right?
"There's no way you're-!"
"InuYasha, be quiet!" Kagome snapped and sent a slight glare his way before focusing all of her attention on Kouga. Taking a deep breath, the raven haired girl's hands had found themselves clasped together behind her back. "Kouga, I know you're said this plenty of times but never have you asked like this. No. No, Kouga, I can't. You should know that. This needs to stop." Letting her words linger in the air for several moments, the female licked her now drying lips and honestly wondered what had caused this to happen. "There are so many things to consider besides this silly little infatuation you seem to have with me." A pause came about for a while. "What about Ayame? She loves you, Kouga, and I know, somewhere deep in your heart, you return the feelings and remember that promise. How can you do this and know that?"
Kagome's words may have come off harsh and she knew that but measures had to be kicked up a notch with this. No longer was Kouga just saying things to be dominant over InuYasha; this times matters were real. The female hadn't really ever stood up to Kouga in this sort of way but there were firsts for everything, right? She hadn't listed all the other things to consider besides Ayame, of course, but she figured the conversation would call for them in due time. All of this was a bit too far for Kagome and she hoped to get it settled before the night was over; at least help out Kouga and get some sleep.
Grunting, Kouga realized he had left a very major detail out of his request. "Kagome, you don't know the whole story. There is no more Ayame. Even if I did return the feelings and remember the promise, which I don't," he added quickly. "I couldn't be with her." This caused a rather confused expression to come about for Kagome. "She's getting married and mated to another wolf demon; I've been replaced."
A stunned silence ran over Kagome and InuYasha, though it was Kagome who was more-so concerned with the news.
"Che. So you think you can just come and take Kagome now that your girlfriend is gone?"
This resulted in glares being shot towards InuYasha, both by Kouga and Kagome but Kouga seemed like he honestly wanted to hurt InuYasha. Both of them decided to ignore InuYasha for now (at least somewhat), and they looked to each other, a sudden connection sparking between them that neither had ever felt. The both of them knew (Kouga not admitting it, though) that they would never work out with one another and tonight was the night to understand that and move on. Kouga's ocean blue orbs locked with Kagome's own dark orbs and though she badly wanted to look away from him, she found shy couldn't. A slight tint of pink spread from her cheeks to the edges of her nose as the silence between the three of them, namely Kouga and Kagome, grew thicker and thicker with tension as each moment passed by.
"Kouga…I-I'm sorry-"
"Don't, Kagome. I don't want sympathy or apologies or whatever for this. She's made her choice and that's that. You want me to be honest with you?" Raising his arms into the air somewhat before dropping them, Kouga finally looked genuinely upset over the matter that Ayame would be out of his life for good in three days. "I'm happy for her; I really am. Hopefully she can get what she deserves from this guy. The two of us would have never worked out which is why I'm here tonight.
"Now that Ayame has moved on, you and I can finally be together." Too serious to even realize what he was saying, the gaze he had upon her never wavered and bore into her gaze as if peering into her soul. There was a hidden pain inside his heart that even he himself had not felt just yet. Walls had built themselves around the pain, refusing to let the pain escape in fear of what it would do to Kouga. Not only would it bring pain to Kouga but thoughts he thought that he had blocked forever would be brought back to him. "There's something here between us, Kagome."
"You're right, Kouga—there is something here between us."
A hopeful look crossed Kouga's features when he heard her say this.
"That something, though, isn't what you might think it is. There can't be anything between us save for a friendship due to so many reasons. For one, there is no true love and we haven't known each other as long as it might feel. I don't know you as well as I should if something were to happen." Taking a deep breath, Kagome finally removed her hands from her back and reached one up, letting it run through several strands of her hair for a few moments it dropped to her side, symmetrical to her other arm. The female couldn't explain why it hurt to tell him this, especially when it was the truth. Perhaps the truth really does hurt the most; Kami knows she's witnessed that saying plenty of times. She just didn't realize that she would be the one inflicting hurt to herself and Kouga with the truth. "I don't mean to suddenly bring this down on you but it's true. We're just not meant to be but somewhere out there, destined to marry and mate another wolf demon, is a girl whose heart truly belongs to you."
InuYasha had been listening to the conversation, glad that Kagome wasn't running into his arms or anything, but had found no time to insert himself into the chat. Even if he had, he doubted that he would join in, anyway. As long as Kouga realized his mistake and finally stayed away from Kagome, the half-demon told himself he would be happy. After all this time, Kouga had grown rather tiresome and it wasn't just because he was a cocky and pathetic demon but because of his constant, useless, and fake love confessions to Kagome.
Kouga, eyes narrowed as Kagome's words filtered through his ears, had slightly been expecting this and though he would never admit it, had been hoping for it as well. The thought that he had been hoping for her to deny him suddenly escaped and he became apparent of it, shocked that he would even hope such a thing. There was no reason for him to hope that because he truly wanted Kagome to be his. When she had mentioned that there was no love, it left him speechless because it was true. What had they had beside few moments together because of the fact that he had first kidnapped her and then wanted to get revenge on Naraku like the rest of them?
"That doesn't mean we can't try anything! There's something, Kagome." His voice seemed desperate almost, as though he needed this from her to escape from the reality that had crashed down on him in the past year or so. Pressing his lips together, a slight growl came forward that he wasn't aware of until it had actually happened. Why was everything crashing down on him?
"No, Kouga, we can't." Shaking her head in a sullen manner, Kagome's heart ached for Kouga and the hurt he was being put through. It was painfully obvious that all of this was because of Ayame. After all, why now, would Kouga come to seriously ask for Kagome to be with him? Ayame was leaving his life once and for all for another wolf demon, no less, and he felt trapped and she was his escape, hm? "Look me in the eye and tell me seriously and honestly that you want to try this. Once you've accomplished that tell me it's not because Ayame has left you and tell me you don't have some sort of rekindling fire burning for her." The words she uttered were snappy but not harsh and cold; they were more-so sympathetic and lovingly honest. If he could say all that seriously and honestly, matters would be flipped upside down in a way where Kagome wouldn't know what to do.
Several moments of silence passed, all of them, including InuYasha, standing on the brink of the cliff even though pressure was only being placed on Kouga's shoulders. Kagome had a stern look about her young and beautiful features which showed she needed to hear this from her.
"I…I can't."
"And why is that, hm?"
Swallowing the newfound lump in his throat roughly, Kouga panicked and attempted to find some sort of escape from Kagome's question because he had no answer. Well, he did have an answer but he never wanted to say that. Taking several deep breaths, his cheeks seemed a little flushed. Finally, clamping his jaw shut, he felt a sudden strength in the pit of his stomach. "I…" he muttered but found he couldn't finish it because it wouldn't be the truth. Kagome deserved the truth after this and so he would give it to her.
"Because I can't! Because…I think I might be falling in love with Ayame!"