Chapter 15
Kai left two days ago and I miss him already.
School has been a blur and I can't remember anything that I've learned. I just sit in my desk and think about how much I miss Kai or what he's doing or what we'll do when he comes back or if he's thinking of me.
And it's driving me crazy.
But today is Friday and school is over for the week so I'm going to keep my mind off of him, even if that means having to watch Kikyo smother InuYasha. So I'm going to the feudal era.
"Bye mom! I'll be back in a few days!"
She waved goodbye to me as I ran to the well house and jumped into the well. The purple light enveloped me and soon I was at my destination. I climbed out and hurried to the village, where I suspect everyone should be.
"Hey you guys!"
I said cheerily to my friends as I entered Kaede's hut. At first everyone looked surprised, but then they all broke out into smiles. I even think I saw InuYasha, who was sitting in the back corner alone, crack a small smile.
"KAGOME!"
Shippo hurled himself into my waiting arms and clutched onto me with a death grip.
"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome! I'm so happy you're home! I've missed you so, so, so much!"
I laughed and twirled him in my arms for a bit, then set him down.
"Eek! Kagome!"
Sango squealed and rushed over to hug me. I forgot how much I've missed everyone.
"It's been so long!"
Miroku joined us and wrapped his arms around both of us so we were in a big hug.
"We've all missed you Kagome."
He said, actually keeping his hands in a respectable spot on my body.
"Yeah!"
Shippo leapt up and wedged himself in the hug.
"We thought you forgot us!"
A pang of guilt rushed through me.
"What? Forget you?"
Is that what they really thought?
"Shippo, I would never, ever forget you guys."
My voice grew quieter and I snuggled more into my friends.
"Never."
We broke apart from our big hug and I slowly approached InuYasha, who stood up as I came towards him.
"Hi InuYasha."
My voice was hushed and meek.
"Hi Kagome."
His had the same tone. We stood there awkwardly for a bit, but then I moved in and wrapped my arms around his waist, digging my head into his chest.
"I missed you."
I whispered into his shirt, making it so he was the only one who heard me. His heart thumped loudly and he placed his arms tentatively around me at first, then tightened his grip and pulled me closer to him.
"I missed you too."
A familiar tingle went through my body as I held InuYasha and breathed in his scent. Thoughts of Kai weren't bugging me now, that's for sure. But the moment was ruined when someone cleared their throat from the hut's entrance.
InuYasha and I pulled apart and looked up to see Kikyo standing by the door, Her arms crossed.
"Hello Kagome."
I could feel InuYasha tense up next to me.
"Hello Kikyo."
My voice had the same amount of coldness in it as hers. We stared at eachother for a while, but then she faked a smile and strutted slowly towards InuYasha and me.
"So sorry for interrupting your little,"
She looked me over with a dark look.
"Moment. I just thought that you were at home with your lover. What makes you come here?"
I wanted to say that Kai was out of town, but I decided not to.
"I missed everyone. Is that such a problem?"
"No, no, no! Don't get me wrong Kagome,"
She leaned in closer to me, her voice even icier.
"We all missed you as well."
"I'm sure you all did."
She pulled back and laughed dryly at me.
"Kagome, Kagome! What's with the attitude? Is something…oh, I don't know…"
She circled around me and stopped at InuYasha's side, placing her hands possessively around him.
"Bothering you? Cause if there is, I'm sure we'd all love to make you feel better."
I didn't say anything. I don't think I could've without yelling at her or attacking her right there. So I just settled for staring her down. I shifted my gaze to InuYasha, who looked so tensed and almost nervous. He couldn't even meet my gaze.
"Everything's fine."
She smirked and planted a kiss on InuYasha's cheek.
"Good."
"What a complete bitch!"
Sango said loudly as we were heading to the hot springs.
"Sango, you don't have to say that just to make me feel better."
"Oh, I'm not saying this just for you Kagome! She is just such a bitch!"
We reached the springs and peeled off our clothes, settling into the hot water. Once we were settled, Sango began ranting again.
"You think she'd have the courtesy to be respectable to you! Instead she just throws herself all over InuYasha like some common day slut!"
I laughed slightly at that comment. Kikyo isn't as liked as she thought.
"How is she for traveling and looking for Naraku?"
"Even worse! She complains 24/7 about all of the walking and how her feet hurt, and then she makes InuYasha carry her!"
Ouch. My heart thumped painfully. I was the one who got to be carried on InuYasha's back, not her.
"And she can hardly sense the jewel shards! She gets a 'feeling' of where they are and then when we follow her lead, there's nothing there! She then blames one of us that it was our fault! Like one time she blamed Shippo because his annoying voice distracted her from sensing properly."
"What? She blamed a little kid? That's horrible!"
"Tell me about it. And she acts like such a princess. She won't ever sleep outside or walk for more then 3 hours at a time. She has to have her food a specific way and she is so whiny! InuYasha is even getting pissed with her, I think."
"Haha, really?"
"Mmhmm. He always tried to make her happy, but sometimes he looks like he's going to snap. But he thinks he loves her so he just does whatever she wants anyway, even though she treats him like dirt."
I nodded my head, not being able to find any other response.
"Hey, Kagome?"
Her voice had softened up immensely, and she had a concerned look on her face.
"Are you okay with InuYasha and Kikyo being together?"
No.
"Yeah, I guess so. I can't really say they shouldn't be together. I have Kai. And if InuYasha feels the way about Kikyo the same way that I feel about Kai, then they deserve eachother."
Sango smiled slyly.
"You really care about Kai, don't you?"
I blushed and nodded.
"Well, from what you told me, he sounds amazing. And cute!"
"Haha, yes. He's very cute."
I haven't told Sango about his drug use and selling, but I don't think it's that important. Besides, people may think drugs are bad here. Or they might not even know what they are so it's best to leave it.
"Do you love him?"
"What?"
"Do you love him?"
That made me think. Do I?
"I don't know…"
"Do you think about him all the time?"
"Yes."
"Do you see yourself with him in a couple of years?"
"…Yes."
"Is your favorite place in his arms?"
I imagined myself in a tight, safe grip. My head buried into a shirt, soaking up the scent. The scent smelled like…InuYasha? No, no. Think about Kai. And how he kisses my nose and hugs me against him, kissing along my neck…
"I guess so. Yes."
She smiled with satisfaction.
"I think you love him."
Hmm. Do I really love Kai? Yeah…I think I do…
"Need some company up there?"
InuYasha looked down from his spot in the tree. I smiled timidly up at him, waiting for a reply.
"Uh, yeah. Sure, come on up."
Relieved that he said yes, I began climbing part way up the tree's trunk. Once my hand was on the branch InuYasha was sitting on, he bent down and held my other hand, pulling me up beside him.
"Thanks. It's had climbing in these jeans."
He mumbled a "no problem" and then looked down into his lap.
"So,"
Time to make some small talk.
"Are things good here?"
Without me?
"…Yeah. Things are good."
Please just tell me you miss me…
"How are things with you and…uh…"
"Kai?"
"Um, yeah. Him."
"…Things are good."
"…That's good."
I couldn't help but notice how strained our relationship had become. Things weren't supposed to be this…awkward between us.
"I meant what I said earlier InuYasha. That I had missed you? I really do."
"I know…I miss you too Kagome."
"You know what? You're probably my best friend."
He looked up ad stared into my eyes, almost as if he were searching for something.
"You know you're my best friend Kagome."
I smiled genuinely at him, making him look away again. This is progress. InuYasha is never one to just open up about stuff. He's not even being an asshole about it. Maybe he really did miss me…
"Hey, remember when I first met you?"
"When I was spelled to the tree…"
"And you were so certain I was Kikyo…"
Even though this is a touchy subject, I have to make sure something is cleared up. He got my drift.
"Kagome, you're not Kikyo. You're you. You don't even look that similar and I was a jerk before…well, before I met you. And the others, of course."
He added the last part quickly.
"Just don't compare yourself to her, okay?"
"…Kay."
We sat in a more comfortable silence. I inched closer to him and sort of nestled myself against him. His arm went across my lower back and rested near my hip, supporting my weight in case I fell.
"InuYasha?"
Once again, the same wicked witch ruined our moment.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Come down here and sit with me. I'm so cold."
Bull shit. She just hates seeing me near her beloved InuYasha.
He shot me a somewhat sympathetic glance, then wrapped an arm around me and jumped down, resting me back on the ground.
"Come on, Inu. Warm me up."
She linked her arm through his and led him away from me.
BITCH!
"Everyone! I have an announcement."
We were all seated around a campfire and it was late at night. Kikyo had stood up and singled for our attention.
"Since our love has grown more and more each day, I think it's be best if…"
She looked down at the confused hanyou and smiled sweetly.
"InuYasha and I were to be married."
Dead. Silence.
Everyone's jaws hung open, even InuYasha's. Kikyo squealed happily and swooped down into InuYasha's lap, hugging herself against him.
"I love you Inu."
Pain. Pain. Pain! An uncontrollable pain pulsed through me, making the world spin. I stood up, the world still spinning.
"Aren't you happy for us Kagome?"
Kikyo's voice dripped in hate and poison, but she sugarcoated it to make her sound sweet. No one bought it.
Get out of here. Get out of here. Get the fuck out of here! My conscious was screaming at me to move, but my body was planted to the ground. How could this happen? How?
"Kagome, didn't you say Kai would be waiting for you around this time?"
Sango's voice registered in my head. She was getting me out of here. She was helping me.
"…Yeah. Waiting…"
"Well, I think Sango should walk you back then Kagome! Wouldn't want to keep your man waiting!"
Miroku had clued in too. Sango had taken my arm and was leading me off.
"Sorry we forgot to mention that she had to leave everyone. Especially after hearing the fabulous news!"
Just go. Just go. My legs obeyed.
"Say goodbye Kags."
"…Bye…"
As she pushed me along the path, a small voice reached my ears.
"Please don't forget us…"
Shippo. I stopped and slowly turned around, my eyes meeting his sad ones.
"Never."
But as soon as the words escaped my lips, I knew it was a lie. All I wanted to do was forget.