Through Blood and Tears
Chapter 2: Making up
Kagome ran a brush through her midnight hair a final time as she took a seat on Sango's couch. The brunette was still in the bathroom getting changed into her pajamas. Bored of waiting for her friend, Kagome turned on the television and aimlessly flipped through the channels. Sango's cell phone startled her as it vibrated on the coffee table. Without looking at the caller id, she answered. "Hello?"
"Hey, Kags," Miroku's voice floated over the ear piece. "Is Sango there?" She glanced over at the closed bathroom door.
"Yeah, but she's changing right now. Why, what's up?" The raven haired beauty once again changed the channel, her expression indifferent. Usually, the four of them would all go to one of their houses and watch movies, but under the circumstances, Kagome thought it was highly unlikely. She felt a pain in her chest as her thoughts drifted to a certain half-demon.
"I just wanted to say goodnight is all. Do you mind telling her I called?" She was snapped out of her mindless daydreaming as she tuned into what the young man had said.
"Yeah, sure, no problem." Miroku thanked her and hung up, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. I feel horrible. It wasn't Inuyasha's fault that Kouga acted the way he did. And having Kouga behave like that made me angry and I took it all out in Inuyasha. Maybe I should call and apologize ...
Sango stepped out of the bathroom and noticed the desolation on her friend's face. "Hey, Kags," she called out, taking a seat on the couch next to her. When Kagome gave no response, she shook her shoulder gently. "Hello, earth to Kagome?!" The dark haired woman slowly glanced up, the distant look in her eyes vanishing.
"Oh, hey. Miroku called for you." She handed over the pink cell phone and continued to flip through channels.
"Are you okay, Kagome?" Sango asked, confused at her friend's strange behavior.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Never better," she responded without taking her eyes off of the screen. The brunette hesitated at first, but decided to let it drop for the time being. She stood up and made her way to the kitchen, out of Kagome's hearing.
Sango heard someone pick up the other line as she called her boyfriend. "Hello, my dear Sango. Are you finished changing?" She blushed at his comment and silently cursed Kagome for giving the lecher too much information.
"Y ... yeah," she stuttered.
"Oh, how disappointing ..." Sango heard the feigned hurt in Miroku's voice, knowing he was thinking something perverted.
"Get your mind out of the gutter!" she practically screamed, blushing furiously.
He laughed on the other line, but quickly changed the subject. "Hey, do you mind if we come over tonight?" Sango was surprised by his sudden question.
"You and Inuyasha?" She peeked out the kitchen doorway to see Kagome curled upon the couch, depression coming off of her in waves. "I don't know ... Kags seems kind of upset."
Miroku's sighed. "Yeah, well Yash has been sulking since we left the club. You know how these two are when they're mad; they'll be holding grudges forever."
"I guess you're right." She released a deep breath as she stepped back into the kitchen. "Sure, come over. Don't tell Inuyasha that Kags is over here though, or else he'll refuse to come."
"No problem," her boyfriend replied and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll see you in about ten minutes. Bye."
Sango said goodbye and hung up, knowing that Kagome would be furious with her plan if she ever found out who were the culprits behind it. None the less, the brunette knew her friend would eventually get over it and bravely made her way back into the living room. She plopped down gracefully on the couch and, after a moment with nothing but silence between them, she spoke up.
"Okay, spill." Kagome acted innocent as Sango gave her a curious glare.
"What are you talking about, Sango?" the dark haired female asked, hoping she wouldn't see through her lies.
"I know when something is bothering you." Kagome mentally slapped herself. Of course Sango would know; they've been best friends since before she could remember.
The slender woman sighed in defeat, knowing Sango would get it out of her one way or another. "Okay, fine. I feel guilty about yelling at Inuyasha earlier today. I mean, it wasn't his fault that Kouga ..." she was cut off when her friend rudely interrupted her.
"You like him." Kagome stared at the brunette, stunned by her words.
"What?" she questioned, stumbling out of her stupor.
"You like Inuyasha." Her mind finally processed what Sango was trying to tell her.
"Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy when he isn't being a selfish, rude, inconsiderate ..." Sango held up her hand to stop her friend's babbling.
"No, I mean you like him as in you want to date him." Kagome stared at her as if she had grown a second head, shocked at her accusation.
"I ... I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered in reply, not knowing if she was telling the truth. Do I really like Inuyasha? Kagome pondered the thought, reviewing her feelings for him. Every time he glanced her way, her heart would start pounding furiously in her chest and she would always look forward to seeing him or hearing his voice. It was true then, wasn't it? She liked Inuyasha. Kagome finally came to a conclusion as a pink tint brushed across her cheeks.
Sango watched her friend's various expressions and smirked, knowing she had been right on target. She opened her mouth to continue the conversation when the doorbell rang.
"I wonder who that is," she mumbled, innocence dripping from her breath. Already knowing it was Miroku and Inuyasha didn't mean that Kagome had a clue. She opened the door to see her smiling boyfriend and an annoyed half-demon. "What a surprise, I didn't know you guys were coming." Miroku gave her a peck on the cheek.
Inuyasha grunted. "Yeah, well if this lecher here would think about something other than what his perverted mind could come up with, we wouldn't be here in the first place."
Kagome's breath caught in her throat as she recognized who the voice belonged to. Inuyasha ... Her immediate thoughts were to run and hide, not wanting to face him now that she figured out her feelings. Before she could put her plan into action, however, Sango invited the guys in and closed the door behind them.
The silver haired male walked into the living room and immediately noticed the slender woman curled up on the couch, shifting her gaze to look at anything but him. Kagome ... He wanted to sit by her, apologize to her for everything he had done to hurt her, but his reputation wouldn't hear of it. "What is she doing here?" he spat angrily, covering up his true feelings.
"Uh ... Miroku, do you want to help me with the snacks?" Sango asked, trying to give her bickering friends some alone time.
He didn't have the chance to respond as Sango dragged him into the kitchen by his ear. "Ow ... ow ... ow ..." her boyfriend cried out in pain.
When Miroku and Sango exited, Inuyasha and Kagome were left alone. That is, they thought they were. Little did they know that their friends were eavesdropping through the kitchen door.
"Inuyasha," Kagome started, trying to sum up the courage to apologize. Inuyasha closed the distance between them and sat down beside her, his expression softening as he saw the hurt in her eyes.
"Kagome, I'm sorry." The young woman stared, stunned by the half-demon's words. Did he just apologize? "I didn't mean to make you upset." Kagome's gaze dropped from his amber orbs as she forced herself not to look at him.
"No, it's my fault. I was angry at Kouga and took it all out on you." He knew she was about to cry because of the salt water scent suffocating his senses.
"Don't cry, Kags. It's okay, really. I don't know why, but that mangy wolf always gets under my skin. Then Sesshomaru was there and ... I just got all worked up." The scent of Kagome's tears faded as her expression softened.
"Did you see Kouga's face when I yelled at him?" she asked quietly, a small smile blessing her lips. Inuyasha laughed as he replayed the moment in his mind.
"Ha ha, yeah. He looked like he was about to shit his pants." He grinned at the wolf demon's frightened appearance.
Sango and Miroku exchanged a knowing glance as they backed away from the door and rummaged around for some snacks. If they came out empty handed, their friends would suspect something. They grabbed some chips and headed back out into the living room to be greeted by the twosome's laughter.
"What's so funny?" the brunette asked, setting down the snacks on a nearby table. Tears rolled down Kagome's cheeks as she clutched her stomach, trying to desperately intake oxygen. Inuyasha was in a similar state, only his visage was empty of tears. All Miroku and Sango could get out of them was something about Kouga and Sesshomaru at the club. They just shrugged their shoulder and the athletic female sat on the other couch while Miroku popped in a movie. The laughter finally died down, a few giggles escaping in between, as Miroku turned off the lights and the film started. Of course, it was a scary flick, courtesy of Inuyasha himself.
The lecher, however, wasn't as fortunate as his half-demon friend. By the end of the movie, Sango was raving on how cool it was with all the blood and gore. Kagome was almost in Inuyasha's lap, burying her head into his chest. "Is it over?" she whispered enough so his keen sense of hearing could pick up her words.
He grinned and pulled her close, causing her to blush. "Yeah, it's over."
"Inu ... yasha," she asked, bewildered. "What are you doing?"
The silver haired male smirked in reply. "I'm going to get you," he whispered in her ear, slight anger evident in his tone. Kagome was confused as to what he meant and immediately tried to pull away. She crawled to the opposite end of the couch as he followed after her. Terror filled her being when she saw the dark look in his eyes as his hands landed gently on her waist.
"Inuyasha, wait," she said, not knowing how to fend the masculine man off. She shrieked, startling the couple on the other couch who were oblivious to what Inuyasha was up to. Sango quickly glanced over to see the half-demon straddling Kagome's waist, tickling her. "Stop ... it, Inu ... yasha," she forced out through her laughs.
"Don't lie," he mumbled in her ear. "You know you want me." Sango giggled at the sight, not able to grasp what he had said moments earlier. Inuyasha stopped his attack to see who was laughing.
A deep, crimson flushed the couple's faces as they realized Sango and Miroku were still in the room. Inuyasha quickly lifted himself off of the beauty beneath him and sat at the other end of the couch, clearly embarrassed. Kagome giggled awkwardly, remembering what the half-demon had whispered in her ear.
"Oh, don't stop on our account," Miroku chimed in, a perverted grin on his face. Inuyasha growled and threw a pillow at him.
"You lecher!" Said man blocked his face from the soft cushion and his smile widened. The girls were amused by the situation.
"Come on, guys, we better get ready for bed." Sango swore she heard groans coming from everyone, but shrugged it off. She lived alone with her younger brother, Kohaku, and had become sort of a mother figure to him. Even though her guardian, Kaede, looked after them, she was mostly there because Sango wasn't a legal adult yet. Their parents died a few years prior, but thankfully Sango inherited everything her parents left behind, giving her enough money to stay and take care of her brother.
She brought out some blankets and threw them on the floor. "Okay guys, pick a spot," Sango exclaimed, waving her hand across the empty floor. Miroku groaned as he realized he wouldn't be able to get close to his girlfriend. As if she read his thoughts, her gaze hardened as she set her sights on him.
Kagome grabbed a blanket and settled down on the couch that she and Inuyasha had occupied. Sango copied the notion on the other love seat while the boys took their places on the floor. They all said their good nights and eventually fell asleep, one by one.
The street was dark and quiet with only the sound of footsteps hitting the pavement. Kagome ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She felt someone behind her and heard a second set of footsteps chasing after her. Fear washed over her being as she struggled to keep her gaze straight ahead. She rounded a corner and then another, her house coming into view.
She ran up the long flight of steps, almost tripping on the way. The moon illuminated overhead as she bounded into her house, slamming the door behind her. Darkness lingered in the humble abode and stillness thickened the room. "Mom? Souta, Grandpa?" Kagome called out, only coming up with deafening silence. She quietly walked around the house, terror overwhelming her. "Where is everybody?" she whispered. A noise echoed from her room and she cautiously made her way upstairs, the fluorescent glow of the moon lighting her path. Her heart pounded unevenly in her chest as she took a hold of her door knob.
The door creaked open and the first thing she noticed was the smell of blood hanging thick in the air. It was overwhelming, even to her. Her chocolate orbs landed on the sight in front of her as horror erupted onto her face. She went numb as her eyes darted around the small room. Her mother, Souta, and grandfather were lying in the middle of her bedroom, drenched in their own blood; a single white rose lying on her mother's lifeless corpse.
She took a step forward, trying to recover from the shock. "Mom?" she whispered, somehow knowing it would be of no use. A dark figure crouched in the corner of her room, visible only by moonlight. Kagome couldn't see his face, but she didn't waste any time as she shook her head and bolted out of the room.
Footsteps echoed behind her as she ran down the stairs; noticing the same rhythm her pursuer's footsteps held to the figure chasing after her outside moments earlier. She suddenly began to tire as beads of sweat appeared across her brow. She whipped around the corner, ready to run out the front door, when someone caught her from behind. She screamed and lashed out at the person, desperately trying to get away. "Kagome," it whispered and she could detect the worry in his voice.
"Kagome, wake up," Inuyasha persuaded as he held her down. She thrashed against him, trying to escape his grasp. Finally, her eyes shot open to see his worried face staring down at her. Hot tears sprung into her eyes and she sat up, wrapping her arms around her savior's neck. Inuyasha allowed her to sob into his chest as he tried to comfort the frightened girl, pulling her close. "Its okay, Kagome, its okay. It was only a dream." He mumbled comforting words to her as he stroked her hair.
She whimpered quietly as Sango and Miroku continued to sleep peacefully. After a moment, her cries quieted and she lifted her head from the half-demon's chest, realizing she stained it with her tears. She glanced up into his swirling pools of amber. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sincere anguish coating her voice.
He gave her a sad smile. "Don't worry about it." Inuyasha let her go and watched as she slipped back under the covers. He turned around to find his own bed on the floor when he felt something stop him. Kagome grabbed his wrist and a small blush tinted her cheeks.
"Will you ... stay with me?" The pleading look in her eyes told the young man she was absolutely terrified. Without a word, he crawled onto the couch next to her, wrapping her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest, grasping his tee shirt with her tiny hands. Inuyasha's senses were taken over by the slender woman's scent, beginning to lull him to sleep.
She must of had that dream again ... Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku all knew about Kagome's frightful dream. It had occurred countless times over the years and lately it was becoming more frequent. She had been having them on and off since the night her dad left them; two years ago.
Kagome listened to her half-demon's heartbeat and each steady breath that slipped through his lips. "Thank you," she whispered to the man beside her. Sleep over came her and soon she was drawn into a dreamless slumber.