Hey everyone. I am so, so, so, so, so very, very, sorry that this chapter is so late. I was having a bit of writer's block for awhile there, but I'm finally done, so it's all good, I hope. This chapter is a lot longer than usual, and I hope you enjoy it. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do for the dinner scene… well, the end of it. Any suggestions, guys? Rate and tell me how you liked it, oh, and please inform me of any grammatical or spelling errors you come across. I can't fix all of them, but I'd like to try. Thanks for reading!!! I added some nifty words to it. I don't know if you'll be able to understand them. They're big ones. lol. Only some in the beginning for now. I wanted to get this done as soon as possible, and it was pretty time consuming. Well, if it makes my bad writing skills a little better, so be it!
Oh, and ahem Kikyo fans. I know it seems I'm totally bashin' on her. I'm not. Keep reading and find out. secretive smile
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"Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha looked around, confused not only because of the voice, but because of the odd setting in which he now found himself. There was nothing in the odd place where he was, merely fog, white and opaque, no matter which way he looked or how far he paced back and forth. The dull echo of a voice, muffled and hollowing in tone, reached his ears once again, and he turned with certainty in its general direction. Blinking, his eyes growing sore from the lack of color, he squinted to make out a large form through the substantial masses, and shuffled his feet gradually towards it. As he got closer, he glanced up in recognition at its now familiar smell and shape. The gargantuan thing that stood before him was a tree. It was very tall and wide, and both looked and smelled ancient, but Inuyasha was positive it was a tree. Branches extended heavenward from its trunk, as though to embrace the sky, and something about this piece of familiarity put Inuyasha at ease.
"Inuyasha?!"
Inuyasha's eyes darted to the roots of the tree, whose roots stood somewhat out of the ground. Maybe the sky wasn't being embraced by the tree, but the sky was essentially lifting it, like a mother would lift a small child from the floor after he had fallen. Regardless, there was a short and slender figure there, crouched, and from the way it was shaking and moving from side to side, in a panic. Cautiously he approached the tree, withdrawing his sword, Tetseiga, more and more from its hilt at his side with every step he took. When he reached the tree, Tetseiga already gratis of its hilt, he leaned against the tree, peering down into the face of…
"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, bewildered.
"Oh!" Kagome features, which had been twisted in their panic, brightened. "There you are, Inuyasha! I lost sight of you, the fog is so thick."
Inuyasha blinked in stupidity as Kagome crawled out from her place a little under the roots, got up, and brushed the loam off her knees. She then stood up straight and smiled affably at him. Inuyasha felt his cheeks redden, and looked away with a cough.
"Thank god you didn't get lost Inuyasha," Kagome sighed in relief, "I was doubting myself a little. I mean, I really wasn't sure if any of this was real or not. This whole search … well, it's not an everyday kinda thing, if you get what I'm saying."
"Feh," Inuyasha snorted, turning his head to look at her again as he crossed his arms and leaned, with his elbow against the trunk, more comfortably against the tree, writing off the odd place and its appearance. He was with Kagome, which was more than good enough to make him more than okay with whatever was going on. "As if I'm run off and leave you," He added quietly.
Kagome blushed, and nodded slowly, peering over his shoulder in an endeavor to avoid his eyes. Instantly she paled, her face contorting in horror.
"Inuyasha," She cried, pushing against his shoulder frantically, "Watch out!"
Inuyasha, working hard to avoid being pushed over by Kagome's panicked assaults on his shoulder turned so that his back was against the tree to take in whatever was happening. He felt it before he saw it. Kagome screamed as Inuyasha gasped in pain and looked down at his chest. An arrow's feathered shaft end stared up at him. Clenching his teeth in agony at the pain shredding up his chest, and ignoring the blood oozing down his front and back , he glared up to meet the archer's eyes. The swimming and obscure sight of Kikyo, smirking in triumph and her hand clutching behind her for another arrow as the other held a bow, swam dimly in front of his eyes. He watched helplessly as she pulled an arrow out and strung it to her bow, and then, everything went black.
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Inuyasha's eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around dizzily at his surroundings, his body saturated in sweat. With a sigh of relief, he let himself fall back, his head hitting his pillow. He was in his own room, on his own bed, where it seemed that all the trauma he had felt in the afternoon about Kagome had caused him to fall asleep. Smiling cheerfully, he turned his head, and then screamed.
A blue eyed boy, with his dark brown hair pulled into a rat tail at his neck's base, burst into the room at that moment. Inuyasha ignored him, wrestling with the person lying next to him. The red haired, brown eyed, twenty year old man tried to climb off the bed sneakily, but Inuyasha was a lot quicker, and grabbed him around the shoulders. Sighing in defeat, the man went limp. Panting, Inuyasha eyed the new interloper coolly.
"Hello, Miroku," Inuyasha breathed.
The blue eyed boy smirked, crossing his arms into his long, purple robes while taking in the panorama of the man, hanging flaccidly in Inuyasha's arms, and Inuyasha, breathing heavily, his red tank top hanging inelegantly around his frame.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Miroku asked politely, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
Inuyasha bristled, snarling at him in indignation. "You know I'm not like that more than anyone. Unless you deny being my best friend."
Miroku smiled in apology, nodding sadly, "Ah yes, but there are days that I wish I could."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes before then returning to the man, giving him a hard shake. "Rocky! Stop playing dead and tell me what the hell you were doing in my room on my bed, especially since it was occupied!"
Rocky winced as Inuyasha shook him again. "Uh…" He paused, cowering as Inuyasha's fist hovered over his head, prepared to hit him at any moment. "I seriously wasn't doing anything! I was tired, and Sesshomaru woke me up with his Tokijin and told me that if he found me sleeping while I was supposed to be helping, he'd kill me. So, when Kojiro wasn't looking, I snuck off and went looking for a place I could sleep in peace. I figured since Sesshomaru doesn't like your room, he wouldn't find me here, and I was just so tired… I sat down on the side of the bed you weren't on and fell asleep."
"Well," Inuyasha said, removing his fist from its contemporary stance over Rocky's head, "That makes sense, seeing as you've never really done much work because you're always so lazy…"
"That's not true…" Rocky objected, "I just work…"
"Uh-huh," Inuyasha muttered, not paying attention, and getting up off the bed. "Sure. Now, get out."
Rocky threw him an importunate look, which Inuyasha also ignored. Realizing he had better chances of cajoling a rock to do the polka, he turned on Miroku.
Miroku gulped, and smiled at him benevolently before opening the door. "Sesshomaru and Kojiro where looking for you. They asked if I knew where you were on my way over here, and I'm sure it wasn't to kill you. Sesshomaru wants to go and practice hockey with the team and start getting them ready for nationals this year before dinner. He also has to give a pep talk since he's the captain, which ought to be interesting."
Rocky smiled eagerly and rushed out of the room, Miroku shutting to door behind him.
"You know," He murmured to Inuyasha," I think the only time I've seen him energetic is when Sesshomaru says something about Hockey."
Inuyasha sniffed and sat down on his bed again, his face turned away from his best friend. Miroku frowned and walked across the room to sit next to him with a sigh.
"What's…up?" Miroku paused uncertainly. There was never anything erroneous with Inuyasha, at least, not that he usually let on.
"When's dinner?" Inuyasha asked faintly, his fingers compressing fistfuls of his red bedspread.
Miroku's head lifted in surprise. Inuyasha customarily would have rolled his eyes and snapped at him for asking such a stupid question. This whole depression stage was totally out of character, except for an atypical occasion or two. Usually, Inuyasha would try and act angry, or excited, or vigorous, but Miroku knew his best friend. He knew enough to see it was a charade. But, Inuyasha was trying, and even though it clandestinely hurt Sango, Rin, and Miroku, to see that he, and even Kagome, were trying so hard, they left it alone. For to bring up such bad topics as Kagome to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha to Kagome, whether they started the conversation or not, the three had silently agreed it would only lead to one of their friends' destruction. So they all kept their mouths closed and hoped for the best, which Miroku knew the best would never come unless they were both given a push in the right direction by someone.
That push had come; it had seemed, not from them, but from Kami. It was true, he had watched anxiously as Sango and Rin had skipped off to the house next door to visit Kagome, who now lived beside Inuyasha, and whose mother was the best friend of Inuyasha's parents. The clash was going to come very soon, when the two would be forced so close together something was going to have to be said, and all hell would break lose. That force performed for Kami's own incentive, which Inuyasha apparently knew perfectly well, was dinner tonight.
Miroku clapped a hand to Inuyasha's shoulder and shook it to see if it was only a provisional mood of depression, which he prayed to Kami it was. He hated seeing Inuyasha so… dead at heart. Miroku flinched for a moment, expecting a blow to the face or shoulder. Inuyasha didn't hit him, or even growl and tell him to "let go" as was custom when he was annoyed by something. He just sat there, sullen, with a stony expression on his face.
Miroku's frown deepened, the silence making him antsy. "In about two hours," Miroku finally answered, his hand sliding off Inuyasha's shoulder, "Sango, Rin-chan, Rocky-sama, Kojiro-dono, and I are all going to be joining you." He hoped at least this fact would comfort Inuyasha in the least. When Inuyasha only nodded, his ears slightly drooping, Miroku bit his lip and persisted. "…Sango and Rin-chan are at… Kagome's."
He winced, hoping his words hadn't impaired Inuyasha in any way. It had been a long time since he had even mentioned Kagome to him, but Miroku knew Inuyasha was still tortured by the mere thought of her.
"Never mind that last part, though. What happened, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, feeling like an idiot. Inuyasha didn't have to tell him. He already knew. He had known ever since Sango had said she was going to be at Kagome's, and she and Rin had trounced over to the house next door to his.
"Miroku…" Inuyasha proceeded anyways, sighing, "Kagome's moving in next door…"
"Ah," Miroku nodded in initial understanding, making his voice sound indifferent and hating himself for it, "So that's what this is about. Don't worry about it, man. It's fine."
Inuyasha paused, clenching his teeth angrily, "Miroku, you know what'll happen if she…"
"I know," Miroku sighed, dropping his apathy and patting Inuyasha's shoulder supportively, "But it's okay. I don't want to sound gay or anything, but I'm here for you."
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"Kagome-san, where do you want these boxes?" Kojiro asked, meandering into Kagome's new room with two one foot by 3 feet boxes clutched supportively on both of his shoulders.
Kagome looked up from staring out her new window. In the shape of an oval, it had a an orange cushioned seat attached to the inside sill where she could sit by the window's edge, and probably even fall out if she wanted to.
Like I feel like doing, she though to herself cynically as she looked around for an open space for Kojiro to sit the heavy boxes.
"Over there's fine, Kojiro-sensei," She pointed at the area in front of her bedrooms closet, which was lucid except for a small box labeled "fall clothes".
"So, you're calling me sensei, I see. Does this mean you'll be attending classes at my Dojo when I open it this year on the 20th? If you do, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't skip my training sessions. You have a lot to cover in archery." Kojiro stated, sitting down on the floor beside her legs to rest.
"Um," Kagome pondered, looking up from the window once more, "…I think. You're the only one who teaches archery in a way I can totally appreciate and understand it. Who's all going to be in it this year?"
Kojiro chuckled, "Thank you. As for understanding it, what's not to understand? Also, erm…" he paused to think before nodding, "all the people from last year. Nasha Wolfe, Natsuki, Kisana, Namine, Inuyasha, Rin, Miroku, Sango, and Rocky of course. Oh, and Ana might stop in from time to time."
"Ana?" Kagome asked, perplexed as she ran through all the faces of the Dojo and not finding anyone named Ana amid them.
"A friend of Sesshomaru, Rocky, and I," Kojiro clarified, "She's from America. She's been here awhile, but just hasn't stopped by the Dojo. Maybe she can stop Rocky from hitting on you girls. There are eight of you after all, including Ana, and only Inuyasha, Miroku, and I to keep him from being a pervert. It may not seem like it, but that's a full time job. We would have Miroku to worry about too, but Sango's got him under control as long as he's there, and he knows that you girls would kick his ass if he did anything, which is something Rocky's never learned."
"Oh," Kagome breathed.
She turned her head and glanced back out the window. Two girls were coming up the driveway towards the front door. One was a little taller and older than herself with a perfect athletic figure, pale skin, and black hair pulled into a long, flowing black ponytail. She wore a black sleeveless t-shirt, and black jogging shorts, with blue and black Etnie sneakers. The other was a little shorter and younger than Kagome, but also with pale skin, only she was wearing an orange and white checkered kimono and had her shoulder length hair pulled into pigtails.
"Sango! Rin!" Kagome called out, opening the window and waving frantically down at them. The two girls below stopped briefly to return the wave before quickening their pace towards the house.
"Oh yeah," Kojiro muttered, still sitting against the wall on the floor, "I forgot to mention that Rin called me on my cell earlier demanding that she and Sango be allowed over to see you, and for dinner at the Inutaisho residence. So, Mr. Inutaisho ran over to get them and Miroku."
"Oh. I see," Kagome nodded brightly. She didn't ask where Miroku was for fear she already knew, but was nonetheless greatly relieved that Rin and Sango would be there throughout her greatest torture, in which there was no direct escape.
Her mother was very indebted to Inuyasha's family for allowing them to have the house they were currently sitting in completely free of charge, and therefore she was, too. It would be rude not to go to the dinner at Inuyasha's house, but it was cruel to ask herself to be in the same room with the boy she loved so much, but couldn't have because he couldn't love her. In truth, if she thought about it, he seemed to hate her. He wouldn't talk to her, or return her notes begging for at least friendship. He wouldn't even come anywhere near her. Rin, Miroku, Sango, and Ashley were no help either. The mere subject of Inuyasha seemed to close their ears and shut their mouths.
"Ka. Go. Me!"
Kagome's eyes snapped into focus. Rin was standing in front of her, rapping her fist against the side of Kagome's head. "Earth to Kagome!"
"Hello Rin," Kagome answered the grinning girl before frowning. "Why is your head bleeding?"
"Wow Kagome," Rin commented, ignoring her question and dabbing at the cut on the right side of her forehead. "You must have really been thinking about something deeply to not have heard us coming up the stairs."
"Yea, Kagome," Sango agreed from where she was sitting on Kagome's bed, "Rin was kinda noisy when she fell."
"Thinking is a good thing," Kojiro objected, standing up and pulling a small first aid kit out from under his haori, "and is something everyone should do more often. Now, Rin, tell me, what and who are you again?"
Rin giggled, hardly wincing as Kojiro dabbed at the cut with Neosporin and gauze, "I am Kojiro's little sister, not an elephant in a stampede, more am I an elephant doing the jig while going up the stairs, or a badger about to fight off a horde of angry bees while I am training with my sword."
"Very good," Kojiro praised, sticking a band-aid to her cut and ruffling her hair.
"Come, Kojiro," A cold voice called from the stairs, "I've found Rocky."
Kojiro looked up and sighed, "There's Sesshomaru. I guess it's about time we started practicing for the new season at the ice rink." He grabbed hold of Rin and proceeded to give her a noggie while Rin screamed and kicked. "Seeya around, sis. Sango, Kagome."
He inclined his head to the latter before letting go of Rin (whose hair was a complete mess) and strolling out of the room.
"So, Kagome," Sango drawled, patting at Kagome's yellow bedspread beside her, beckoning her to sit down, "what do you think of your new room?"
"Yea," Rin cried energetically, "It looks really nice!"
"I guess…" Kagome muttered, ignoring Sango and looking around.
It was a large and beautiful room, just like the window. Its walls were painted a bright, vibrant orange, with a wooden bookshelf, cupboards, dressers, and closet built right into the wall at the far end of the spacious room, and took up a whole wall. The floor was made of blue marble tiles cut in the shape of puzzle pieces, with heating under the floor to keep the room warm. The lights were built to hang from the ceiling like orbs, and vents for air conditioning were scattered hither-thither.
"I guess I won't need my dressers, or lamps," Kagome huffed, bitterly.
"Yea, but you've wanted new furniture for forever, Kagome," Rin complained, flopping herself down on Kagome's bed on Sango's other side, who had stopped patting at the bedspread.
Kagome nodded sadly in agreement, "Yea. Mom could never afford it, with all Dads' doctor bills. She could barely pull a house payment together."
Sango and Rin looked at each other for a moment before turning to look ay Kagome.
"You know, it's okay, Kagome," Sango trailed off sheepishly, not knowing quite what to say.
"Yea, it is. I mean, my dad…." Rin nodded, also trailing off.
Kagome smiled grimly, "I know."
She walked over to the bed and sat down on it also, right where Sango had beckoned her to before. She sniffed, and picked up her pillow, plopping it down in her lap and playing with the fabric.
"But this whole thing with….him," She whispered.
Both Rin and Sango stiffened uncomfortably. Kagome's eyes flitted over their stony expressions.
"I take it you know who I'm talking about."
The two girls nodded firmly. Kagome roller her eyes and snorted, working to control her anger.
"Kagome…" Rin sighed, "It would be better for you, and for… him, if you just forgot all about it."
"Forget all about it?!" Kagome snapped, "How the hell can you say that?! Despite you guys, and Miroku, trying your best to blot me out all the time, you've still heard me! I love him, guys! So it's not that simple! But," she continued as Sango and Rin winced at her bitterness, "he doesn't love me, or even care! He hates me, and I don't even know why!"
"It's not that he hates you, Kagome, believe me it's not that! He doesn't, not in the least! And if you really want to settle this, then talk to him," Sango hissed back, her face reddening in rage.
Rin shook her head violently at Sango, sending her a horrified look of warning. Kagome could only guess that the look was directed towards their bickering.
"But don't you even think that you're the only one who loves someone when you've seen me and Miroku together so many times!" Sango yelled, scowling at Rin, "I may not know exactly what you feel in this current situation, but I do know what it feels like to love someone!"
Kagome paused in awe at this statement. It was true that Sango and Miroku had been going out for at least a year, but because of the way Miroku womanized, it took away from their relationship. Sango had tried her best to whip him into shape, and it had seemed to make him loyal enough, until Sango wasn't around. Kagome was sure that he didn't really mean anything by it. In a funny way it even seemed like it was just his way of testing Sango. However, when together they were a great couple. They never stayed angry at each other for too long, and they definitely weren't afraid to set the other straight when they thought the other was wrong, whether by physical or mental means. That didn't mean they never fell short in complimenting each other, though. Sango now continued to glare at her in rage, her brown eyes sparkling precariously.
"Or is it that you never thought about it that way?" She snapped, crossing her arms.
"I'm sorry, Sango," Kagome breathed, patting her irate friend on the shoulder in apology. Sango seemed to calm down immediately. "You're right."
"Are you two done now?" Rin asked politely.
Sango and Kagome blinked and looked down. Rin had slid down from her position at Sango's side and was lying on the floor with a very bored look on her face.
"Well, I'm going to go arrange some boxes," Sango sighed, picking herself up off the bed and trotting over to the closet.
Before Kagome could object, she picked up the box labeled, "Memories" and picked it up. She nearly jumped off the bed as a small piece of paper fluttered down towards the floor in the center of the room. Rin, being Kojiro's constant trainee and sister, was quicker and made a grab for the piece. It fell delicately into her open hand.
"Say, Kagome, what's this?" she asked, blinking up at Kagome in confusion, "It looks like Inuyasha's handwriting…."
Kagome immediately seized the note, stumbling and nearly falling over Rin's feet in her haste. Panting, she stared in panic at the suspicious looks crossing her friends' faces.
"It's nothing," She laughed nervously, waving her hands around frantically, "Nothing at all!"
Kagome barely felt it. She barely felt the wind lift the note out of her waving hand. She probably wouldn't have seen it either, had she not turned her head at exactly the right moment. Or caught it, as it fluttered as it fluttered out the window she had failed to close after waving to Sango and Rin. It didn't really matter. She didn't catch it anyway, even though she basically leaped out of the window so far for it that if it wasn't for Sango and Rin, she would have been fluttering too; only to her death.
"No!" Kagome screamed, making a futile grab for the note as it drifted down towards the back lawn.
"Kagome, calm down!" Sango hissed as she and Rin struggled to keep her from diving again for the window.
"But it's…. a precious memory," Kagome sniffed, tears forming in her eyes as she realized it was hopeless and straightened up.
Sango and Rin stared hard at her for a moment, concerned looks on both of their faces, before looking at each other and sighing.
"Kagome," Rin smiled, patting her on the shoulder and Kagome cried into her hand, "If you hurry, the wind had died down when we arrived…"
"Kagome! Sango! Rin! I want to go over to Inutaisho's house a little early. So, let's get moving," Kagome's mother called from somewhere downstairs.
Kagome looked up in horror at her two friends. Sango and Rin stood in front of her stiffly, stony expressions on their faces. Neither of them had anticipated going over and staying at Inuyasha's for longer than an hour for dinner, and here Kagome's mother was planning on leaving half an hour early.
"Kagome," Sango said urgently, shaking Kagome's right arm, "We'll head over to Inuyasha's. You hurry downstairs and get that note if it's important to you."
Kagome gulped and nodded, turning around and, after muttering a small word of thanks, threw her door open, ran down the series of steps, and out her front door.
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Inuyasha banged heavily at the controller to his PS2, the controller groaning in protest at the strain. The TV flickered, and a cry of "K.O!" echoed officially around the room, along with a triumphant whoop from Miroku. Inuyasha growled, throwing the controller down in frustration.
"Damn it, I hate this game!" He snarled, flipping off the T.V.
"Really, Inuyasha?" Miroku laughed, pleased to be victorious over the hanyou, "Or is it just that you can never beat me at Mortal Kombat?"
Inuyasha was about to retort, when a wonderful smell wafted past his nose. Completely forgetting Miroku, he took another whiff of the air. It smelled… terribly familiar, but different to a certain extent. Like sweetened spice, but sweeter than what he was trying to place the scent with.
"Inuyasha! Dinner Time!" Inuyasha's mother called, "Mrs. Higurashi, Souta, Mr. Higurashi senior, Sango, and Rin are here! Hurry up if you want to get a good seat at the table."
So that explained it. What he smelled was Kagome's mother. It was only natural that she and Kagome's scent would smell somewhat alike. Wait… dinner… fuck. The game with Miroku had taken his mind totally away from the whole dinner affair that Sesshomaru wouldn't allow him to skip. This had seemed like a good thing, when it came to forgetting his current predicament with a certain, apparently temporarily missing, dinner guest. Temporary relief, and then dread shot through him as he tried to predetermine what would happen when that particular, secretly beloved, person would show up. Something would need to be done about that. He couldn't have Kagome talking to him. Couldn't take the pressure of knowing the danger he'd be putting her in… He snorted, banishing the thoughts as best he could from his mind, and looking up as though to motion Miroku to follow.
"What the hell?" He cried out in ire, looking around in bewilderment.
Miroku was gone, the door being left flung wide open in his haste to get to dinner, most likely to see his girlfriend. Inuyasha sighed in bitter contempt, trying to control his anger as he walked down the hall with a speed so fast that a mere mortal would have thought he was running. Skidding to a halt at the dining room door, he burst in and walked, glowering, towards one of the only two seats left, each being on the left side of his
Parents, who were sitting across from each other. All chattering stopped as this happened, and Miroku grinned, sheepish with apology, at Inuyasha from his spot beside Sango. Sending him a death glare in response, Inuyasha pulled the chair out from beside his father and sat down in it, crossing his arms.
Inutaisho clapped a hand to Inuyasha's shoulder cheerily, as though hoping to rub off some of his joy on his astringent son. Inuyasha shrugged him off moodily. Inutaisho gave him a hurt look before turning back to his wife and Arisa. He looked up angrily at his friends at the far end of the table. Sango and Miroku were chattering away, and flirting too, if Inuyasha could make any approximations. However, Rin was staring at him from beside the two, her mouth slightly agape in horror.
Heh, Inuyasha thought to himself, wonder what's gotten into her.
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Kagome dashed breathlessly around the side of her house. She could hear Sango, Rin, and her family leaving to head over to Inuyasha's house. It looked as if she would have to enter the dinner, late, on her own. She mentally rolled her eyes. As if the dinner wouldn't already be awkward enough. Clearing the side of the house, which had seemed to go on for miles, she darted towards the spot just under her window. She smiled in gratitude. The note was still there on the grass, right where it had fallen. Swiftly, just in case Rin really was wrong about the low amount of wind, she grabbed the note from the ground, careful not to wrinkle it. It was undamaged, and just the way it had been before it had been loaded into her moving box, Kagome observed while clutching it happily to her chest. Carefully she folded the little note and placed it in her pocket, patting it twice. And then, she was running again, around the side of the house, across her gigantic driveway, into Inuyasha's yard. The only time she paused for breathe was when she reached his front door, working hard to control her rasping. When it was finally all under control, she held a fist to the door, wondering what she should do. Politely, she rapped two times so as not to just barge into the home.
"Come in, dear," A voice Kagome now recognized as Kagome's mother called out welcomingly, "the door's open. We're up the stairs, and the first door to your right."
Kagome tensed anxious as she did what she had been told. After all, Inuyasha could have been anywhere, and she still wasn't sure if she was prepared for even being in the same room as him. Her stomach growled at her in complaint as she came to the top of the stairs, but not because she was hungry; it was anxious too. Slowly she made her way towards the door, dragging her feet nervously, knowing that she could putt around all she wanted and it wouldn't change anything.
"I can do this," Kagome sighed, closing her eyes. She was at the door by now, her hand frozen on the doorknob. "Okay," She told herself, a look of concentration stretching across her face as she opened the door, the only physical barrier left between her and the person she loved.
There was only one seat left open at the dining room table, Kagome observed with a sickening jolt that made her almost want to faint. The one right across from Inuyasha.