Hey guys, thanks for reviewing, I know this update is a little late, but at least it's not five months late ha ha. Enjoy the chapter, it's probably the shortest chapter in 'It Kills Me' so far.

Solace

In hundreds of years worth of history, it has always been said that hanyous are weak. That the bit of power they had could never amount to a full demon's, that they were the lesser beings to both humans and demons. Knowing this, I generally wouldn't challenge a demon like my dad. Well, unless I had to.

For a minute, neither of us said or did anything. Dad stared at the floor, and I stared at him, as if trying to determine what kind of person he had become.

I stood up, and I didn't even consider the consequences when my fist connected with his jaw. The feeling, as I were showing him what Mom must feel, the fact that it seemed like a dream but was all to real definitely had me dazed in some weird sort of euphoria.

He turned slowly, looking at me as if he had given up on everything, my forgiveness, his marriage obviously, and his life altogether.

The look on his face only pissed me off more. "What the hell is wrong with you?! How could you do this to Mom, and me, and Sesshou-"

"Inuyasha, it's very complicated, I have to think about what I can do-"

"What can you do?! There's nothing you can do! You've gone and royally fucked everything up!"

He stood up then, towering over me, and my fist is itching, and I have this overwhelming want to punch until those purple crests on his face aren't even visible.

"You owe me respect, I'm asking you nicely to calm down."

"I owe you respect? You owe my mom loyalty! What happened to you?"

"I fell in love."

"No, your dick fell in love with some slut!"

"Inuyasha!"

Me and Dad both whip our heads to my mom standing on the steps. She looks tired, to put into simple words. Her hair hangs lifelessly on her shoulders, her skin is an unhealthy shade of white, and she was dressed in a kimono style robe.

"Mom...."

She won't even smile at me. "It's okay, Inuyasha. I knew that something had to be going on, when your father started coming home less, and whenever he did, there would be a scent of perfume on his clothes, that wasn't mine,"

I look at Dad, and he has an unreadable expression on his face. I don't know what else to say or do, I'm pissed beyond belief, yet I know I probably shouldn't be here to see this.

"Inutaisho, I knew for a while. But when you stopped trying to hide it, and your phone would ring non-stop, her name on the screen, I couldn't believe that after all these years, you and Semui's mating bond is still so strong."

Semui?! My Dad was having an affair, with Sesshoumaru's mom? Kami, this is so the Young and the Restless sounding. But a few years ago she moved out of the country....

Dad is as speechless as I am. "Izayoi."

She gives him a look that would've cut off my life span by years. Then she laughs a laugh that can barely classify as a laugh, it's harsh and bitter sounding.

"Business trip, my ass. You haven't had a business trip since 1990! Semui came back to Japan, last year, didn't she?"

I really shouldn't be here right now. Without looking at either of them, I run up the staircase, but I can still hear Mom say,

"Your things are packed. Get out."

I'm in my room now, and I let out a huge breath. The door cracks and Sesshoumaru slips in. His eyes are hollow, he doesn't even have that jackass smirk on his face.

We don't have family moments often, or at all really, so he just sits down next to me on the floor, quiet.

I say, "I wonder how long she's been back...."

"A while, probably." He replies, then asks, "Will Dad and your mother separate?"

"Sounds like it."

"Do you care?"

"Should I?"

"Perhaps....."

I look at Sesshoumaru and he looks like he's not even really here, the look in his eyes, so far away. I don't always talk to my brother without insulting him, so.....

"You're staying with Izayoi, right? After they divorce?"

I cringe at hearing that word. "Yeah. It's not like Dad is here that much anyway, things won't really be different."

Sesshoumaru sighs. "Well, I'm moving out next month anyway so,"

"It'll just be me and her."

"Yeah, until you got to college."

Then it's silent between us. After ten minutes of not talking, I get up and snatch my keys off the night-stand, leaving Sesshoumaru to stare after me.

Mom and Dad aren't downstairs when I pass. Good.

Kikyo answers the door wearing shorts, and an over-sized hoody. At least one thing turned out good today.

"Inuyasha, you look like you've been to hell an back, what's wrong?"

I don't answer her question. "Can I come in?"

She steps aside, and I walk in, the scent of cinnamon rolls and apples attacking my nose.

She plops down on the sofa. "Sit, tell me what's wrong."

I smirk and sit down next to her, my hand going to rest on her hip. "Who said anything was wrong?" I whisper, not giving her a chance to talk when I kiss her.

Kikyo pulls away quick, her cheeks bright red. "What's gotten into you? You don't normally do this-"

"Normal is boring." I say, gently grabbing her by the back of the neck, bringing her face close to mine.

Her eyes are huge, and she's blinking as if she doesn't know what's happening, what I want.

"Normally I wouldn't complain," She starts, "But this isn't like you, what's wrong?"

I sigh and pull away from her. "Can we go somewhere?"

"Sure."

Hana's Ramen Shop is probably my favorite place to be next to home, they have every flavor of ramen ever tasted, and the restaurant was built American 1950's diner style. This place probably made so much money because of me, although I haven't been here in about a month.

Kikyo slurps her noodles in a cute way, and looks embarrassed when I stare at her.

"Sorry," She mutters.

"It's alright,"

She puts down her chopsticks and then puts on a serious expression. "So, tell me, why did you need to come to this ramen shop to talk?"

"I needed to get out of my house."

"Why?"

I simply say, "Dad is cheating on Mom, he's leaving. My brother's Mom is back in town."

Kikyo blinked. "Like a soap opera....."

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

She gets up and slides in next to me on my side of the booth. She wraps her smaller arms around me, her hair acting as a curtain in front of my face.

"I'm sorry,"

"It's okay."

A kiss on my cheek, then she takes my hand. "Maybe not now, but I'll try to help you so that it will be."

I smile at her, and I scoot her out of the booth and then I stand up and lead her outside.

"How about a walk?" She suggests.

I nod, and interlace her fingers with mine, as we walk down the sidewalk leading to the park down the street.

It's weird, I hadn't even told her, but she knew how I felt, what I needed just then.

It's gotten darker, and the stars are starting to come out, but I doubt Kikyo can see them all that well, because of the interference with other electronic stuff. But I can see her so perfectly. The relaxed smile on her face, her other hand, drifting to her hair, twirling it.

We're approaching the huge fountain in Kamasaki Park, and because it's late spring, the lights are on, blinding to normal eyes, and the water is shooting, as if aiming for someone. I turn to look at Kikyo, who had dropped my hand, but she's not beside me. Then I hear a giggle from behind me.

Next thing I know, I'm going face-first into the water, the stupid liquid floods my ears, making me practically deaf for two seconds. I pop back up, and Kikyo is sitting on the edge of the fountain, holding her stomach, and laughing so hard that she's practically crying. Her face is so red, that if I didn't know any better I would've mistaken her for a cherry. She shouts, "Your face! Kami, your face was hilarious!"

I waddle over to her. "I always thought my face was sexy." I say, then I take her hand and yank her in, now it's my turn to laugh.

She giggles, and stands up in the water, she's so close, her breath is on my lips, and she's breathing heavy from all the laughing and yelling. Her eyes are bright, as if they're laughing with her, and she smiles as if this is the best thing she's ever done.

But, I gotta say, it comes pretty close for me. She managed to turn a terrible day into....... this! A night of wet hair and obnoxious but fun laughing, and at the risk of sounding like some love-sick chick, it feels like it's okay to do this, almost like this is what I should have been doing all along.

I pray that this feeling doesn't fade away, that she can take my mind off all the screwed up shit in my life, for days at a time, and for these past few weeks I've just been fooling around, but now I see that she was what I needed, the thing to make me stop whining over Kagome, acting as if all life was drained out of me. And she's the one to pour it right back into me, maybe?

"Inuyasha...."

So, this time I don't let her make the move like the first time we did this, this time, I lean in and experience a whole new kind of drug.

Who would've thought the taste of sweet apples could be so goddamn addicting?

Ya know, that's when I make up my mind. When I finally decide to stop stalling and secretly hoping that Kagome would fix things and come back to me, I only pulled an inch away to say, "Do you want to be more than 'friends?"

But of course, I didn't get to say it, because a ridiculously big burst of the fountain's water shooters, pops Kikyo right in the face, sending her falling on her backside.

I could've sworn those damn things were shooting towards the air......

Woah, cliff-hanger! Just to clarify some things, I didn't throw his parents divorce in there to serve as just something to happen in the story, they're separation will be a part of Inuyasha's transition, his view on how things can go from heartache to infidelity, and back to heartache. Where, is the second heartache you say?To come in later chapters, awesome reviewers! Well please review if you'd like to know the exciting conclusion of 'It Kills Me'. Keep a lookout for the next chapter, entitled: You're a Whole New Thing.

Afterthought: I do not own 'The Young and the Restless.'

With that said, Sayonara!