Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.
Chapter 23
Akira was watching television when Sesshoumaru showed up later that afternoon. As soon as Morikawa stepped into the living room, he blurted out, "Is Kagome okay?!"
The doctor nodded. "Yes, she's fine. Wait, don't go up there, please."
Sesshoumaru, who was on his way over to the staircase, looked over at Akira. "What? Why?"
Akira smiled. "She has company... and his name is Kouga."
For a long moment, Sesshoumaru stared uncomprehendingly at the young man sitting so comfortably on Kagome's sofa. Then he sighed, his body sagging. "Oh, thank god," he muttered, covering his face with his hands. "Thank heavens its not him."
"You don't like saying Yuki's name, do you?" Akira's steady green gaze followed Sesshoumaru as he slumped down onto the nearest chair. "Well, Yuki and I aren't exactly the best of friends either. I mean, we get along and I do care about him because he's my cousin... but really, getting to like Yuki is like getting a taste for beer. He's definitely an acquired taste. I hated him for the longest time because he ran away from home and made my Aunt Rini cry. Then I hear from Hiro all that he got into when they were living together. I hated him even more when he forced Hiro into his lifestyle." He leaned back against the sofa cushions. "I'd really rather have her marry Kouga. He's so good to her--"
"That's what I said, too. But she insists upon marrying that fool. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that she's chosen him. But anyway, you said she had another fever."
"Mmm, yes. But this time it was different. She'd gotten out of bed and was trying to make her way downstairs when she collapsed--"
Sesshoumaru's eyes bulged madly in his head. "I thought you said she was okay!" he cried, breaking out into a sweat. "She fell down the bloody stairs?!"
"Sesshoumaru, she--"
Morikawa jumped to his feet and began pacing. "This is serious. I'm going to have her installed in a one-bedroom house immediately!" As he reached for his cell phone, Akira sat up and put out a hand.
"No, its fine! You don't need to do that! She didn't fall, as it turns out. Well, her body began to fall, but she didn't hit the floor."
Cell phone to his ear, Sesshoumaru turned to look at the doctor confusedly. "What are you talking about?"
Akira sighed and smiled at the other man. "Kouga was in the right place at the right time, Sesshoumaru. He caught her when she fell." He watched at Sesshoumaru as he stared at the floor and lowered the phone. "Then he took her upstairs and took care of her when he realized she was feverish. That's a good man right there, Sesshoumaru, and that's exactly what that poor girl needs. You know," he said, dropping his voice conspiratorially, "if you want me to sabotage Yuki's wedding, I will, just say the word."
Sesshoumaru looked askance at the doctor. "Um, no, that's okay. It would only upset my girl if something bad were to happen on that day and whatever upsets her, upsets me. No, all we can hope for is that he'll fuck up big time and she'll want to divorce him."
The doctor agreed wholeheartedly.
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Upstairs, Kouga lay, holding her in his arms. He'd dozed off for awhile then woke suddenly when Kagome moaned and shifted in her sleep. Her body felt a little too warm for his liking, so he moved away from her slightly. But the second he did, she whimpered in her sleep and reached out for him.
He lay still as her searching hands found him and grabbed him around the waist. Then she pressed her face against his bare chest again and sighed contentedly. "Mmm, Kouga..."
Kouga grinned and held her again, kissing her head. But his smile disappeared when he looked over at the bedside table. Her ring sat there and it was almost as if the thing was glaring at him. Damn Yuki! Thanks to him, he lost the most precious thing in his life.
Looking down at her sleeping face, Kouga felt sadness overwhelm him. If only there was a way to get her to leave Yuki. If only there was something he could say that would make her change her mind. But no, he'd done too many bad things in his life. He didn't deserve to keep this angel by his side.
With a sigh, he held her close again. It was going to be very difficult to watch her marry another man.
Excruciating, in fact.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kagome was finally able to be fitted for her wedding gown. She was still very weak, but with Rini and Sango, she was able to get it done. Rini had been an incredible help with everything; she had thrown herself into arranging the wedding and reception with such vigor, even Sango got tired watching her deal with the florist and caterer.
Yuki came by to visit Kagome as often as Akira would allow. It was two days before the wedding when he was finally allowed to be alone with her. He sat down beside her and held her hand.
"I've missed you so much, Kagome," he told her, squeezing her hand gently. "How are you?"
She nodded. "I've been okay, thank you." She gave him a sweet smile.
He moaned softly and leaned over to kiss her. She melted into his embrace, her arms going around him. A moment later, he broke the kiss and dipped his head to kiss her throat. "I can't wait until the day after tomorrow. But I've waited this long, right? What's two more days?"
Kagome said nothing, but let him touch her the way he wanted to. She couldn't have fought him off if she wanted to; she simply didn't have strength. Besides, her throat had begun to hurt...
"Darling?"
"Yes, Yuki?"
"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"
She straightened, moving away from him, but his hand held hers. He was staring at her left ring finger, which was bare of any jewelry. With a sigh, she pointed at her bedside table, where the ring had sat for several days now. "It got too heavy for me to wear. I'm sorry, Yuki."
"No, don't apologize, sweetie. My mom was so taken by it that she didn't stop to think if it would be uncomfortable for you. You're so delicate, Kagome, so of course a ring this size would become cumbersome after awhile. Don't fret about it, okay?"
She nodded and he smiled dotingly at her, pulling her onto his lap. "Now, where were we?"
He kissed her again and she watched him kiss her. A feeling of something had just passed through her. What had it been? She didn't know. All she knew was that it had something to do with him. Him and danger.
Suddenly, a great wave of sadness swept over her and her arms tightened around him. She kissed him back so hard that he was startled. When he tried to pull away from her, she only clung onto him more stubbornly.
Loss. Such terrible loss... if she didn't marry him.
Kagome refused to let him go for a long time.
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Yuki was nervous. Not just nervous. Terrified.
He shifted his stance when his leg began to pain him and ran a finger inside his collar, thinking he really needed to loosen it. Damn, but he felt all but strangled! He couldn't wait to get out of this penguin suit/straightjacket.
With a sigh, he looked toward the back of the church, whose pews were pretty much filled to capacity. The guests were laughing and talking amongst themselves and several kept turning to the back of the church, waiting to see if the bride was on her way. That was when the butterflies came back in a mad rush. Soon he'd see his beautiful bride, his sweet Kagome. 'Man,' he thought, for what seemed like the billionth time, 'I don't deserve her, or this. Any of this.'
He still couldn't believe she wanted to marry him and he couldn't believe how everything turned out. Ever since she'd accepted him, he'd been on an emotional rollercoaster, what with her being so ill. Then, of course, he'd discovered that Kouga and the Kawase brothers were working for Sesshoumaru, which wasn't such a huge surprise. Morikawa could be incredibly persuasive, but it was probably more likely done out of revenge for stealing Kagome out from under his nose.
Today, he could see Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku were present and sitting on the side of the aisle that was reserved for Kagome's family and friends. Her little brother was there, sitting next to Kouga, who was chatting away quite comfortably with the black-haired man. Funny, it almost seemed as though they were very familiar with each other. But he shook his head. Impossible. Kouga and his guys weren't that close to Kagome and her family and Kagome never talked about him.
Yuki began to fidget with his cuffs, which had also mysteriously become a trifle too uncomfortable and turned to Hiro, who was playing the part of best man. "Oi, do you have the rings?" he asked nervously. Oh kami! What if Hiro lost them? What would he do? Sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Hiro grinned reassuredly at his brother. "For the hundredth time, Yuki, I have them." He reached into his coat and pulled out the rings. "See? Safe and sound."
Yuki grunted. "Well for heaven's sake, baka, put them back! I don't want you to lose them!" He whipped out a green silk handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead while Hiro chuckled softly, rolling his eyes.
Releasing another sigh, Yuki turned to stare out at the guests and wondered vaguely if Inuyasha dared to show his face. When he didn't see a single silver head out in the crowd, he breathed a sigh of relief...until he spotted Inuyasha coming down the aisle to sit on the other side of Souta.
His heart began to race. So if Inuyasha was here, then, where the fuck was Sesshoumaru? Oh kami... Where the hell was Kagome? Oh shit!
He looked down at his watch until he realized he wasn't wearing one today. Crap! Didn't he usually wear a watch? "What time is it, Hiro?" he asked, fighting the panic clawing its way up his throat.
Hiro clapped a reassuring hand on his brother's tense shoulder. "It's not time yet," he whispered. "Stop worrying so much! Everything will be just fine."
"Fine? Fine!" Yuki hissed furiously. "Inuyasha's sorry ass is here where I can see him, thank kami, but where the fuck is his brother? Huh? Cuz I sure as hell don't see his tall, albino Lurch-looking ass anywhere."
"Stop talking that way about your future brother-in-law, Yuki. Don't you remember? He's walking Kagome down the aisle."
"Oh. Yeah." He scowled, shifting his stance. His leg was beginning to ache.
Then the music began to play. Everyone rose and turned and Yuki, nervousness and leg pain forgotten, turned also to greet his bride.
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She had been breathtaking. Her floor-length satin gown was ivory and adorned with tiny crystals that made her look as though she had been sprayed with diamonds. She didn't wear a vail, but instead, had her hair dressed up with ivory colored silk roses that were sprinkled with tiny crystals.
And when Yuki slipped his ring on her finger, he felt as though his life was finally complete. She was here, before him... and she was his wife.
When they walked down the aisle together, he caught a glimpse of Kouga and for a split second, he could have sworn the man gave him an ugly look. What the hell was Kouga's problem?
ooooooooooooo
Miroku, sitting in the pew behind Kouga, noticed Yuki's look of puzzlement. Of course, he knew right away what had just happened; he could see Kouga's aura and it was full of rage. Once the couple had passed, Miroku leaned forward and laid a reassuring hand on Kouga's tensed shoulder. They stayed like that until the church had emptied save for him, Kouga, and the Kawase brothers. Souta and Inuyasha left after a few minutes, leaving the four men alone.
Kouga got up and turned around to look at Miroku. The monk rose, too, as did Ginta and Hakkaku.
"Kouga?"
Matsuno shook his head. "I've gotta go, Miroku. I can't stay for the reception." He kept his eyes averted, but Miroku didn't need to look into those bright blue eyes to know that they were filled with heart-wrenching pain.
"What would you like me to tell her?" Miroku asked him softly, wishing there was something he could do to ease the agony Kouga was feeling.
Kouga began to shake his head, but turned away and sat back down on the pew, his shoulders shaking. The brothers looked over at Miroku with wide, stricken eyes and Miroku went around to sit beside Kouga, throwing an arm around him. "Damn it! I love her so much! I wanted to stop it. I wanted to rush up there and brain his head against the altar, but if this is what she wanted... if he's the one she wants... who am I to keep her from that?"
"I know how you feel. I wanted to put a stop to it too. I'm so sorry, Kouga. I tried to get her to change her mind. I really did, but she--"
"I know and thank you. It was funny, hearing everyone saying that they wished she was marrying me instead. You, Sesshoumaru, Akira..."
Miroku started. "Akira? Are you serious?" He shot a look up at Hakkaku, who nodded.
Nodding, Kouga wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. "Yeah. Sesshoumaru said that Akira was even willing to sabotage the wedding. Can you believe that?"
"Wow, that's... great." Miroku patted Kouga on the back when a thought struck him. "Um, Kouga? Don't leave town tonight, okay?"
"Huh?" Kouga shot him a quizzical look, one solitary tear streaking down his face. "How did you--?"
Miroku shook his head. "Never mind that. Just don't go anywhere." He got to his feet. "I have to go to the reception. Remember this, Kouga. Kagome loves you. She still needs you." Giving him a meaningful look, he turned and walked away.
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She smiled and smiled and smiled. When would she be able to quit smiling? Didn't everybody know she didn't want to smile anymore? Didn't they realize how upset she was?
She had seen Kouga give Yuki a dark, angry look as they passed by. So strong was his hate, that when she turned, she was nearly knocked over by his aura. It was so full of fury and pain that she didn't think she could make it down the aisle without passing out. But she did.
Now here she was, sitting beside Yuki... her husband. Oh heavens, what a strange word! Never in her life would she have imagined that someone would have wanted to marry her, but here she sat, beside the man she would call husband until the day she died, wearing a ring that symbolically bound her to him for life.
And he was not Kouga.
Looking about the luxurious dining room of the super-expensive hotel the reception was being held at, Kagome took a bite of the delicious roast chicken that Rini had ordered the caterers to make, but paused when she had to swallow. Her throat was hurting again.
She turned to Yuki and asked him where Akira was. Yuki, who was talking and laughing with his mother and father, pointed at the other end of the table. She nodded and thanked him, then waited for his attention to be diverted onto his parents again before getting up and making her way to where Akira and Hiro sat together with Connie, Hiro's girlfriend.
The two men rose to their feet when she approached them, but Hiro resumed his seat when he realized that she was looking at his cousin.
Akira looked pleased and bowed to her. "My lady, what may I do for you?"
She came up to him and whispered in his ear. Akira nodded solemnly and followed her out of the dining room and led her up to his room. When they arrived, Akira went for his medical bag and grabbed his optical scope and asked her to open her mouth wide.
A moment later, he stepped back and shook his head. "Sorry, Kagome, but I don't see anything." He lay his scope down and began feeling on her throat. "What kind of pain is it? Is it dull, or sharp?"
"It's a sharp, stinging pain," she told him as his warm fingers massaged her.
"Hmm. I don't feel anything, and I didn't see anything." His hand clapped over her forehead, then smoothed down to the side of her face. "At least you don't have a fever, thank kami. Do you want me to come see you tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to examine you further if you still have any pain."
"Would you? Thank you so much, Dr. Yamadera. I'd like that." She bowed to him and followed him out of his room and back to the dining room.
When Kagome returned to her seat, Yuki leaned over and kissed her. "Darling, where did you go? I was worried."
"I had to go to the bathroom," she lied blatantly, smiling innocently back in his face. She felt bad about lying to him, but she didn't want him to know what was wrong with her. He'd worry and she knew that his leg was bothering him. She couldn't make him worry about her anymore, especially after all these weeks of being ill.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale," he told her, taking her hand in his. He kissed the palm of her hand. "Do you need to lie down?"
Crap! He was worrying about her anyway. "No, I'm fine. Actually, I'm not really hungry." Another lie. Admittedly, she was pretty hungry, but it hurt to swallow and the pain had gotten worse. When she was given a fresh glass of champagne, she took a sip then quickly put it down. Drinking the alcohol had stung like fire, leaving her unable to drink it. Even water hurt going down.
It did not take long for Rini to notice her new daughter-in-law's appearance and switched places with Yuki at the table. "Honey, you're really pale and you've barely touched your food. Do you feel sick?" She put a cool hand on Kagome's forehead and her face cleared. "Well, at least you don't have a fever. Perhaps it was too soon to have put you through this?"
The bride shook her head. Kagome had chosen this day for no particular reason other than she had envisioned it in a dream. So far, everything had gone in the right direction... and all she had to do was sit and wait. But wait for what? She still had no clue what was going on.
Later, when she went to dance with her husband, a wave of nausea and something else she could not put a name to overcame her and she fainted in his arms. Then, she became vaguely aware of Yuki shouting for someone. A pair of gentle hands were on her and Akira's voice was in her ear, asking her if she could hear him.
The nausea soon passed, but the something else remained and she began to cry softly against Yuki's chest. There was something dark looming over them, something evil. But it was not just that feeling of foreboding that had made her swoon. It was also the dance... oh kami, forgive her! The waltz. She couldn't bring herself to dance the waltz with Yuki. It didn't feel right.
It wasn't...
HE wasn't...
"Kagome! Baby, what's wrong?" Yuki cuddled her to his chest and rocked her; his lips were in her hair, on her face. "I'm so sorry, honey! We should have waited until you were stronger. Oh, Kagome, forgive me..."
Then Akira's voice came through the fog in her confused and shattered brain like a calming beacon of light. "Take her home, Yuki. This girl isn't fit to deal with this right now. I told you before she wasn't ready for all of this."
And yet another voice came. It was so powerful and demanding that Kagome nearly smiled in spite of herself.
"If you've done something to my girl, Yamadera, I'll have this farce of a wedding annulled by tomorrow morning and you'll never lay eyes on her again!" That of course, was Sesshoumaru. He was standing very near her, for she could smell his cologne and practically taste his anxiety. He was scared for her, she knew. He had seen her ill so many times before; had even seen her at death's door. He had never gotten used to seeing her this way. "Akira! Go with them."
"Hey, now wait a minute here!" Yuki's voice was in her ear. Clearly he was upset and he clutched her tighter to him. Any tighter, and she wouldn't be able to breathe. "No one is going with us! I'm taking my wife home and I'm going to be the one to take care of her!"
Kagome felt herself lifted into the air. She clung limply to him as he began walking.
"Damn it, Akira, where the hell do you think you're going?" her husband snapped, but he continued to walk out of the dining room and into the lobby of the hotel.
"I'm going with you," replied the doctor placidly. His voice was nearby, so he must easily be keeping up with Yuki's walking pace. "Morikawa-sama ordered me to, as well as your mother, and besides, I've got your cane with me. Hold on a moment."
They stopped walking and a moment later, they began moving again.
"Why do you have to carry that thing around with you all the damn time?" Yuki growled impatiently as they slowed down. Kagome felt him put her in a car and soon after, he was in there with her, holding her to him again. The door shut and a minute later, the car was moving. "Stop staring at me like that. You're weirding me out."
"I'm staring at you because I'm concerned, Yuki. From a medical standpoint, of course. I could care less if it 'weirds' you out. Besides, it's not really you I'm worried about. It's Kagome."
"You should have stayed behind. There's only one person Kagome needs right now and that's me, because I'm her husband."
"Yes, and I'm her doctor, so what I say goes. Which of us, right now, at this very moment, is most important for her, huh? Hmm, I certainly don't see a stethoscope around your neck there, Yuki."
"Shut your trap, Akira. You're just a quack."
"And you are a selfish bastard."
Silence reigned down on them until they reached Yuki's apartments. When they finally arrived, Akira opened the door and Yuki carried her into the living room and lay her down on the sofa. Akira shooed him away and told him to take a seat, which Yuki did. Silently, he watched his cousin examine his bride, who had finally seemed to have totally regained consciousness. She stared up at Akira, who was speaking softly to her and brushing the side of her face with his fingertips. Kagome's eyes fluttered as though she was falling asleep, so calm did she look.
When Akira's fingers moved down to her throat, Yuki felt a flare of anger burn through him. "Why are you touching her there?" he demanded, getting up.
"She complained of a sore throat," Akira told him, straightening. "I was asking her if she it was very painful."
Yuki looked from Kagome to Akira. "Well, give her something to make her feel better like you do with me and get out. She's my wife and my responsibility."
However, it was Kagome who answered. "It's fine, Yuki. I'm fine. I don't need anything." She sat up and looked at Akira. "Thank you, Dr. Yamadera. I didn't mean to put you through all this trouble." She flashed him a weak smile.
Shaking his head, Akira got down on one knee and took her hands in his. "You haven't been any trouble to me, Kagome, so you put that thought right out of your sweet little head. Now, what I want you to do is take it easy for the rest of evening. Don't let this fool Yuki upset you or make you do anything you aren't physically prepared for. I'll come by to check up on you tomorrow, okay?"
She nodded, giving him a grateful look as he kissed the back of her hands. Akira certainly was a gentleman, Kagome thought, watching him as he got up, grabbed his medical bag and left... leaving her alone with Yuki. Her husband.
Suddenly, she felt extremely shy and she shifted on the sofa, remembering that she was still clad in her ivory satin wedding dress. Her husband came over to her and sat beside her.
"Kagome," he said, reaching out to touch her face.
Kagome looked at him, eyes wide. What was going to happen next? Surely he wouldn't force her to do anything! Didn't Akira just make that clear to him?
But all Yuki did was kiss her, and she was grateful for that. She loved Yuki, but now was not the time for--
The pain in her throat hit her full force and she jerked back, a whimper of pain on her lips. She grabbed her neck and doubled over. Yuki cried out and she put out a hand to hold onto his arm. Weakly, she shook her head. "No, it's fine, Yuki. I'm okay."
"No, you're not!" he exploded. "You aren't fine and you aren't okay! I'm calling Akira back here." He got up to grab his cellphone, but Kagome as up on her feet and grabbed him around the waist, holding him back.
"No... you can't..." she gasped, squeezing him harder. The feeling of doom from earlier had returned at the same moment as the pain, only it was closer and more ominous. The time was very near now...
Yuki turned in her arms and held her. "But darling, you're hurting. I don't want you to be in pain. Is there anything I can do? I want to help you."
His kindness touched her and for a moment she nearly cried. "There's nothing you can do, Yuki. I'll live." Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. For a moment, she was swept back to that day on his balcony, where they stood, oblivious to the rain and the world around them. She knew... she knew, without a doubt, that whatever was supposed to happen was karma, and not the good kind. The very thought made her heart ache for him, because deep down, Yuki was a good man and he deserved to be happy.
"Kagome." His lips moved against hers and he said her name again. "I love you so much," he told her, kissing the corner of her mouth.
Not for long...
She pushed him away as the tears began to fall. "I hope you remember that I love you, too. Please, don't forget that I love you, Yuki." Her fingers went to his face and lightly traced the scar that ran down the side of his face.
There was a finality in her voice that made him pause. A frown creased his brow and when he opened his mouth to speak, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yuki, but I need to lie down for a bit. Where is my suitcase? Sesshoumaru had one of his maids bring it over earlier."
"Oh yes, it's in my... I mean, our bedroom. I'll go get it, okay? Just lie back down and I'll be right back."
She nodded and sat back down on the sofa, listening to his soft footsteps go down the hall and to his room. Her eyes closed as she heard him grab hold of her luggage and then came the sound of a thunk. It had opened, spilling all the contents on the floor.
Kagome held her breath, waiting. Everything that was happening right now, she had seen in her dreams last night. She wanted so badly to stop it, but to do so would be disastrous. It was either her or him... and she had chosen him.
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Her suitcase had sprung open, its contents spewing forth out onto his bedroom floor. Yuki sighed heavily. Poor girl had an old suitcase, so no wonder it sprang open so suddenly. Tomorrow he would throw it out and get her a new set of luggage.
With some difficulty, he got down on his knees and began to pick up her clothes.
That was when he found it.
It was a piece of paper, a letter hidden within the silken folds of her one of her nightgowns. Frowning, he picked it up and stared at it. At first, he didn't know what it was, but it was written in a very familiar handwriting. Casting a quick look over his shoulder to make sure Kagome wasn't in the room, he began to read it.
It didn't take long to realize just whom the letter was from. He'd seen this particular handwriting enough to know Kouga's fist.
But this was no ordinary letter. It was a love letter. A love letter from Matsuno Kouga to Higurashi Kagome. Yuki's mind went blank for a moment and his world stood still.
He didn't understand. How was this possible? He had never seen Kouga show any interest in Kagome, or she in him.
"You love me, Kagome," it began, "I know you do. You've told me you do. I don't know why you keep on pretending to love that fool, Yuki. You and I both know he'll never love you the way I love you and he'll never treat you the way you deserve to be treated. After awhile, you'll discover that he's nothing but a sorry bastard who thinks only of himself. Just come back to me, my beloved, my Kagome.
"Do you remember all the good times we've had? I had never been happier while we were together. It was sheer pleasure just being given the opportunity to hold your little hand in mine and feel you in my arms. They ache to hold you again, Kagome.
"Kami, I love you. I love you more than life itself. Leave him and be with me. Be my wife, Kagome. I will love you for the rest of my life and I'll be the man you need. If you ever, EVER need me, call me. I'll be there for you as fast as I can.
It was signed, "With all my Love, Kouga."
No words could describe the feeling that washed over him. All he knew was that pain was a huge part of it. Kouga... and Kagome? Together? But... that couldn't be! It just couldn't! How could he not have known?
As he continued to stare at the paper, his head began to ache, then pound. He got to his feet and leaned heavily against the wall; he shut his eyes against the agony in his head.
"Yuki, I... There's something I think you should know..."
His eyes flew open. What was that? Hiro? Yes, it sounded like Hiro's voice inside his head, haunting and distant. And then... another voice. His, this time.
"What are you saying? What's going on, Hiro?"
"Yuki..." Hiro's voice again, hesitant, reluctant to say anymore.
"Tell me, Hiro. Is something going on between you and Kagome? I won't have it, you hear me? I won't --"
What? Hiro... and Kagome? Never! Hiro would never...!
Hiro's answer was soft... sad. "Not me, Yuki."
Unable to stand any longer, Yuki limped over to his bed and dropped heavily onto it, still clutching the letter but not seeing it as he held it in front of him. His mind was envisioning something else... A memory, perhaps? The doctors did tell him that he had suffered from some memory loss and were not sure if he would ever remember what happened before his accident.
Rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, not sure if he wished to remember what happened that night, but he relaxed and let whatever was being held back, come forth. He wanted to know.
"Who, then?" he heard himself asking Hiro.
His mind seemed to skip over something and he heard Hiro's dreaded answer. "Kouga. She and Kouga are dating, Yuki. They have been for awhile now."
Ignoring the persistent ache, Yuki's head shot up, his eyes staring wildly about the room. Then his gaze dropped to the Kouga's letter. "I had never been happier while we were together", it had said.
She had lied to him. Kagome had dated Kouga...
"I won't do this! He loves me!"
That day at the hospital, when she yelled at him... he'd thought it was Sesshoumaru. But it wasn't. It was Kouga she had been referring to.
Oh, gods, he was hurting...
Again, his mind skipped around until...
Them, together.
That's right! Oh dear god! He had seen them together! She had been curled up against Kouga, his arms were around her... and they were kissing. Kagome had let Kouga, a man who would never be able to scrub the blood of all his victims from his hands, touch her. She had never let him touch her like that...even though he wanted to. Damn, how he wanted to!
Kagome...
The one woman who had managed to make him want to settle down and have children... the one woman he had wanted more than life itself... had lied to him.
She had lied...
Taking it out into the living room, he abruptly began to read the letter in its entirety to Kagome, who only stared back at him with sadness in her eyes. There was dead silence for a long time after he'd finished.
Yuki stared at his pale-faced wife and wondered what the hell to say to her. What could he say? He hadn't known about any of this. Of course, he really shouldn't have expected Kouga, much less Kagome, to have said anything to him about them having a relationship. Even so...
"Why didn't you tell me, Kagome?" He braced himself against the balcony doors and looked out through the glass to the brightly lit city beyond.
"Yuki... that letter... I can explain..."
"How long?"
"How long, what?"
He glared at her. "How long did you see him?"
"Almost six months. If you'll let me just explain.."
He pressed his forehead against the cool glass and shut his eyes. "You could've told me about Kouga. Why didn't you say anything?" he muttered, ignoring her soft plea.
"How could I? At that time--"
Yuki's fist smashed against the glass door in a sudden burst of anger. Miraculously, the glass did not shatter, nor did it crack. But it did wobble a bit.
"I'm not talking about then, Kagome. I'm talking about now, damn it!" he cried, waving the letter in her face. He didn't care that he hadn't given a shit about her then. During that time, all he'd wanted was to make her pay for dismissing him. "How could you have started dating him?!"
"You didn't care about me then," she replied simply, echoing his thoughts.
His gaze never left her face. She looked ill, but right now he didn't really give a shit. There were a couple of things he still needed to know. "Do you love him?"
Kagome bowed her head and nodded weakly. "Yes, I love Kouga."
Noise like a strangled cry managed to escape his throat. He knew he shouldn't pursue this any further, because after all, whom did she marry in the end? But his pride was bruised and battered knowing that Kouga had had Kagome before him. How many women had he had since she'd initially turned him down? He didn't want to think about it, but there had been quite a few. Really, he had no right to complain, just because she'd had a relationship with a guy he thought he trusted.
Unable to look her in the eye, he stalked over to the wet bar and began fixing himself a drink. A strong drink. "Did he have you?" he asked bitterly, gripping his glass.
She gasped. "Excuse me?" Her voice shook. She couldn't believe he would ask something like that of her.
He took a healthy swig of vodka before slamming the glass on the counter. It shattered, sending pieces of glass and vodka everywhere. Ignoring the tears that stung his eyes, he turned to face her. "Did he fucking sleep with you, Kagome?" he choked out.
Kagome jumped to her feet. "How can you ask me that, Yuki?" She began to back away when he started moving forward. "Yuki? What's the matter? What's the --"
His memory was now complete. Perhaps it was vodka that triggered it, or perhaps his brain was just on a roll, but he then was finally able to remember why he was on those icy roads to begin with. He had begun drinking at home after Hiro had called him, telling him not to come over because Kouga was with her and then he remembered running out of her house to his car. He had gotten in, feeling so incredibly hurt at seeing her in the arms of another man, but he didn't know why he should feel this way and it had scared him, so he ran... ran away from the look on her face. He didn't remember the look! How could he have forgotten it?
He recalled driving away from her house, feeling more wretched than he'd ever been in his life. He hated her, yet at the same time he...
"The accident," he spat, putting a hand to his thrumming head. "My leg... my face... my hand..." His slitted green eyes slid over to where she stood, fear staining her face. "I'm like this because of you!"
Fury flew through him. With a yell, Yuki brought his left arm up and backhanded her across the face. She cried out and was knocked back onto the sofa, her hands covering her face.
"You... filthy bitch! First I find that you've lied to me this entire time about seeing someone else, and now... and now I find out that you're responsible for my... my..." He sputtered, his hands shaking uncontrollably. "I'm a fucking cripple because of you!" he roared.
"No, Yuki, please..."
"You let me leave! You knew I was fucking drunk! What the fuck were you thinking?! I thought you cared about me! Did you want me to die? Is that it?" His head was throbbing like an engine and even though, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't be doing this. But he had to blame someone!
"No, I didn't want you to die, Yuki! I do care! Please--"
"Shut up, bitch!" His fist came down and landed a blow on her cheek, while tears fell unheeded down his cheeks. "You lied to me! I thought we were friends! You could have told me you didn't love me... that you loved him! You didn't have to fucking lie to me..." He stumbled backwards, his hands over his face. The pain in his head was unbearable. It was so strong, he could even feel his scars burn.
A small tug on his sleeve caused him to look up. Kagome stood there, her pale face reddened and swollen on one side, with her hand reaching out to him. "Yuki," she whispered as a single tear slid down the untouched side of her face. "Please..."
But all he could see was a woman that had torn his world apart. "I hate you," he spat, bringing his hands up and clutching her by the upper arms. With a growl, he picked her up and slammed her down on the glass coffee table. He stared down at her unmoving body for a moment, then bent down and ground the side of her head into the shards of glass. "There. Maybe you'll get scars on your face too, and then we can match. You know, Kagome," he said, rising to his full height and feeling unbelievably calm despite his massive headache, "it was an interesting ride we went on together, but like all things, it must come to an end. And this is where you get off. You'd better be out of here by the time I get back."
And then he was gone.
Kagome lay still. Her throat was in agonizing pain and she knew it had been sliced open. She could feel something warm and sticky staining the bodice of her wedding dress. She tried calling out, but no sound came out. What would she do?
Miroku... help me...
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
At home, Sango was already in bed and Miroku was rubbing her feet while they watched a comedy on television. He'd been worried about Kagome all day and wondered if she'd felt that sense of evil lurking nearby during the reception. Perhaps it was nothing after all. Maybe those two were home right now, consumating their marriage...
Sango burst into laughter and Miroku started. Damn, he missed the joke. Oh well...
A sudden feeling of pain shot through his neck and he fell forward, landing on his knees on the floor beside the bed. Sango cried out in alarm as Miroku began spitting up blood. When he was able to sit back on his heels, he wiped the blood off with the back of his hand and stared with surprise at it. What the hell---?
'Miroku... help me...'
Miroku's head shot up. "KAGOME!" he screamed and quickly dressed. Sango got out of bed and was asking him what was wrong, but he told her he was needed elsewhere. With that, he raced out of the front door.
On the road, he called Kouga. Thankfully, it was Ginta who answered for him. Kouga wouldn't be able to handle something like this. "Ginta! Grab Kouga and your brother and head over to Yuki's apartment now!"
"What? Why?" There was a note in the elder Kawase's voice that told Miroku that it was a good thing he wasn't dealing with Kouga right now. Ginta was by far the more sensible of the trio.
"Don't ask why, baka, but I want you to bring a digital camera. Oh yes, call Akira and come armed." He hung up.
They met in the lobby of the apartment building and took the elevator up. All three had looked at Miroku curiously, for he still had blood smeared on his mouth.
"What's this about?" Kouga asked warily. His face looked haggard and drawn; his eyes were red-rimmed. "Do you have to put me through more pain, Miroku? This isn't funny."
Miroku shook his head. "This is far from being funny, Kouga." The bell dinged and a moment later, the elevator doors slid open. They exited the car and began walking down the hall to Yuki's place, but Miroku paused suddenly and threw out his arms, forcing the other men to stop. "Wait. There's something..."
Kouga inched forward and saw that the door was ajar. He slid his hand back and pulled his gun out of his waistband. Putting a finger to his lips, he slipped inside the apartment. It was almost dark, except for a lamp that had been left on in the living room.
Narrowing his eyes, he could hear someone moving around, probably in Yuki's bedroom. Sure enough, a moment later, a shadowy figure came down the hall and went into the living room. It was man, Kouga realized with some surprise. And it wasn't Yuki.
The man chuckled maliciously. He was staring down at something on the floor and smiling. "It seems that your husband isn't here, Mrs. Yamadera. Where is he? Oh, can't speak, can you? No matter." The man's hands went to his waist and began undoing his pants. "If you won't speak, then I'll just have to make you scream."
It didn't take long for Kouga to snap. She may be Yuki's wife, but he'd be damned if anything happened to her. He was in the living room and had the man by the throat before the guy's pants dropped to his knees. "You bastard. You dare harm this girl?" He put the man in a headlock and merely waited for him to pass out.
That was when the lights came on and Kouga could see. With a horrified yell, he dropped the man where he was and was by Kagome's side.
Miroku and the Kawase brothers also got a good look of the shocking scene before them. Ginta leapt forward and pulled Kouga away from Kagome. "Don't! Not yet, Kouga, not yet. Hakkaku, hurry up!"
Hakkaku quickly took some pictures and then Ginta released the enraged man from his grip. Miroku stood still, completely stunned at the sight. It was all here, the glass... the blood... and Kagome lying in the midst of it, unmoving.
Kouga, tears streaming down his face, gently turned her over on her back and had to choke back a sob. The right side of her face and neck were cut badly, but the worst of it was at her throat. "Oh god, oh god," he moaned and looked around him in a dazed fashion. "What do I do? Oh god, what do I do?"
"Don't panic, for one," admonished Ginta. "Put pressure on her throat, Kouga, until Akira gets here."
Following Ginta's orders, Kouga held her against him with a chunk of his shirt that he'd ripped off to place against her wound. He repeatedly apologized to her, telling her that he loved her and to forgive him for not getting here sooner.
About twenty minutes later, Akira arrived, his countenance grim. It became even grimmer when he saw Kagome lying in Kouga's trembling arms, soaked in her own blood.
"Dear god," he murmured, quickly examining her. "Did he do this?" He motioned to the strange man still passed out on the floor.
Miroku shook his head. "No. Yuki did."
Everyone stared hard at the pale-faced monk. "What?" Hakkaku asked, frowning.
The monk shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Kagome... showed me everything that happened. Don't ask me how, please. It would take too long to explain, but..." He went over towards the balcony doors and picked up the sheet of paper that had caught his attention. He glanced at it, then handed it to Kouga. "He found your letter and everything came back to him. Yuki remembers what happened the night of his accident... and he blames Kagome for everything that happened to him. That's why the right side of her face is cut so badly. He wanted her to be scarred on her face too, just like him."
"That... son-of-a-bitch!" Akira exploded furiously. "What the fuck was he thinking? It was his fault that he was wasted out of his mind!" He got up, pure hate glowing in his green eyes. "Get up, Kouga. The free clinic I volunteer at isn't too far from here and I need to get those wounds cleaned. Ginta, Hakkaku, get Kagome's things together and bring them with you and give them to Miroku. I want you both to stay with that guy until he comes to and find out what the hell he was doing here."
"What'll we do with him afterwards?"
Akira shrugged. "I don't give a damn. Beat the shit out of him, for all I care."
Just before Kouga followed the other four men, he looked down at her left hand. "Miroku? Take off her ring, please." The monk did so without question and placed it on the dining room table. "She won't need it anymore. When Sesshoumaru gets wind of this, he'll annull this marriage for sure."
In the elevator going down, Miroku glanced at Kagome. "Sesshoumaru. How are we going to tell him about her? He's going to be furious."
Kouga said nothing and only held her closer to him. The entire front of his shirt was saturated in blood, but he didn't seem to mind or notice.
Thankfully, they met no one in the lobby and got Kagome outside and quickly bundled into Akira's car, which was parked in the front of the building. Kouga had left his car keys with the brothers, while Miroku followed Akira to the clinic.
Once he got her cleaned up and under pain killers, Akira began the task of pulling the pieces of glass out of her face and neck. She had been lucky; the largest shard had imbedded itself into her neck, barely missing her jugular vein.
Kouga and Miroku stood nearby, looking on. Kouga was a complete wreck but remained by her side, wincing everytime Akira removed another shard of glass. Akira then asked if he needed some valium. But the answer was a firm 'no'.
After awhile, the Kawase brothers arrived just as soon as Akira finished patching up Kagome. Kouga and Miroku both looked at them as they sauntered in, grins on their faces. It was obvious they had just enjoyed a good beat-down.
"Well, what happened?" Kouga asked, clutching tighter to Kagome's cool, limp hand.
Hakkaku's grin got bigger. "We kicked his ass," he replied, giving his knuckles a good crack.
Ginta shook his head. "He didn't mean that, baka. Apparently, that guy was supposed to rub out Yuki."
"Eh?!"
The brothers nodded. "Yeah," continued Hakkaku. "He was hired to kill Yuki, but thanks to all this," he indicated Kagome with a wave of his hand, "he just missed being murdered. Can you believe that shit?"
Putting a hand over his eyes, Miroku groaned. It was beginning to all make sense. "So that's why she chose to marry him and marry him on this particular day." He lifted his head and saw everyone staring at him. "Kagome knew something like this was coming. So did I, but I didn't piece it together like she did. The letter... Sesshoumaru's maid packed her suitcase and somehow, the letter got into it. If he had rummaged around in it, he was sure to find it. She had to know reading the letter would trigger something in his brain. Kagome had been very calm about it, when she told me that she knew something bad would happen to her. She'd already accepted what was going to happen."
"But why put herself through all that to save his life? He's not worth it," muttered Kouga nastily.
Miroku shook his head disconsolately. "She really does love him, Kouga. Besides, I think she did it for his mother too. Rini-san has already gone through the pain of losing her son once and she very nearly lost him again when he had the car crash. Imagine her reaction if she discovered that her son was murdered." He went over to touch Kagome's face. "She had a choice, she told me tonight when we were waiting for Akira to arrive. It was either him or her and she knew that she would live if she hadn't made the choice to marry him. But if she had refused him, he would most likely be dead now."
"Hmm. What did you do with that guy?" Akira asked, cleaning up.
"We tied him up and left him there unconscious. What a surprise Yuki'll have when he comes back!" Ginta hooted with laughter.
"Kouga, what are you going to do now?" asked Miroku, who'd been watching Kouga for the past few minutes.
Kouga heaved a sigh, then turned serious blue eyes on the monk. "One thing's for damned sure. I'm not letting her remain in the city. Tonight, I will take Kagome someplace safe. No one knows where it is, especially not Yuki. Ginta, you and Hakkaku go to Sesshoumaru and tell him what's happened. Thanks for the foresight to ask them to bring the camera, Miroku. Show Sesshoumaru the pictures you took and wait for his further instructions, but don't tell him where Kagome and I are. If he asks why, tell him I'm afraid for her safety. I'll get in touch with him in a few days." He picked Kagome up and walked out of the room with her.
The others followed him outside and to his car. Ginta opened the passenger side for him and Kouga set Kagome down inside. He asked Ginta to pop open the trunk and grab the blanket that was in there. Once he had her nicely wrapped up, he buckled her in and closed the door. "Call me when you guys are done with Sesshoumaru," he ordered, going around to the driver's side of the car, while Miroku put her luggage into the backseat.
"Hey! Will you need help? I can send Kaede to you," Akira offered, locking the doors to the clinic. "She's extremely reliable." He handed Kouga a small bottle of pills. "Here, this should take care of her pain for a few days."
"Okay, thanks." Kouga appeared to consider the doctor's offer. "Perhaps. If it should prove too much for me to handle, I'll call you and let you know." He put his leg in the car, then paused. "Oh, Miroku. Thank you. If it hadn't been for you, there's no doubt she'd be dead now. How you knew everything is beyond me, but I'm certainly grateful to you. I'll keep in touch." With that, he slid into the car, started the engine and drove away.
ooooo
Two hours later, Kouga pulled into a long driveway and drove up to a darkened two-story house. After parking his car, he got out and unlocked the front door. He turned on some lights and went upstairs to turn the light on in his bedroom before heading back downstairs and outside to gather the still-sleeping Kagome in his arms.
Shutting the front door behind him with his foot, he carried her up the stairs and lay her down on his bed.
Later, after he had undressed her, put a kimono on her and tucked her into bed, he sat beside her, staring down at her. She was so pale, so fragile-looking by the light of the lamp beside his enormous bed, he thought as he took her ringless hand in his. The left side of her face was a deep, ugly shade of purple and quite swollen.
His vision swam and he fell to his knees beside her, his face buried against her belly, where he sobbed like a child. "I'm... so sorry I wasn't there for you, Kagome! Forgive me! Please... please forgive me!"
When his sobs subsided somewhat, he changed into some sleepwear and slid in beside her. For a long time, he was unable to sleep, but when he could feel it coming on, he scooted close beside her and slid his hand across her body and pulled her to him.
"Hey," he whispered in her ear, "have I told you I loved you today? No, of course not. You were too busy getting married to another man, but that's okay. It doesn't matter now. I love you. I love you so much it hurts, little girl. But like I said, its okay. You're here with me, and I won't let anything happen to you. I love you, Kagome."
As he drifted off to sleep, Kagome stirred against him. She sighed in her sleep and turned in his embrace. 'I... love you, too... Kouga...'
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
A/N: Okay, before you guys say anything, this was supposed to happen in the story, not because I wanted to make Yuki look like a monster or because I'm secretly voting for Kouga. I mean... um... oops. . Yuki knows I love him! . Actually, parts of this chapter were part of the original draft, written a few months ago when I first came up with the idea for this story.
But anyway, if you want to keep voting for your favorite guy, go ahead. i'm still taking votes. If you want to know the standings so far: Sesshoumaru - 2, Yuki - 10, and Kouga - 15.
I hope you Yuki fans don't get too mad at me for this chapter. It was hard enough writing it with him acting like a crazed lunatic.
Peace,
Raven Skye Blackhawk