So holy crapoli guys, I can't believe it's almost been a year since I started this story. I remember writing the first chapter like it was yesterday. Thank you for sticking it out with me this long, especially with the random month long hiatuses I seem to like to take, and the short chapters (like this one DX ). You guys are such supportive readers, your reviews always brighten my day. Thanks for all the love!
She turned back to the empty living room and sighed.
How am I supposed to sleep now?
Kagome didn't know but that didn't stop the loud ugly yawn that was currently stretching her face. She plopped down on the sofa and grabbed the tv remote. Her thumb hesitated over the power button. With another sigh she dropped the remote at her feet, curling up on the sofa and resting her head on the arm rest.
Her mind was in chaos. She didn't know where to start. Somewhere between racing and stilled, her thoughts were jumbled. She thought if she got a moment alone she would cry, but as she laid on the sofa she felt nothing. Kagome was beginning to become concerned,she felt either nothing or in over her head. She didn't know how to handle this.
Will I ever be normal?
But even that wasn't a fair question. Kagome didn't know what normal was, let alone how to be it. The people she thought were normal were all a part of a secret, very abnormal world. No one had said it, but the road she was about to go down was going to be hard.
I wonder if the police are looking for me?
She quickly shut that thought process down. She yawned again, her eyes watering. She would deal with all this stuff tomorrow. She was just going to sleep for now.
Kagome's eyes snapped open at the feeling of a stone grip on her shoulder. Sango hovered over her, her hair hanging loose, free from the restrictive ponytail Kagome had never seen her without. Kagome felt panic well up inside of her as she looked at Sango's wide eyes.
"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, sitting up.
Sango, removed her hand from Kagome's shoulder before backing off, she pulled her hand to her chest and chewed on her bottom lip.
"What's going on?" Kagome tried again. Sango's hesitance was starting to irk her.
"You shouldn't sleep on the sofa, take my bed."
Kagome rolled her eyes before laying down again.
"You woke me up to switch places with me? I'm already comfortable, besides Miroku is back there too right? I'm not kicking you both out of your room." Kagome said as she closed her eyes.
"But it's really not safe for you to sleep out here. Take my bed."
Kagome sat up, "I'm not taking your bed okay? Go back to sleep."
Sango stood there. Kagome flopped back down again and turned her back to Sango.
"All right," She felt Sango's presence behind her for a few more moments before she heard her walking lightly to her room. Kagome rolled her eyes.
What the fuck was that about?
Kagome would have to ask her tomorrow.
Kagome woke to whispering. Her back was a little stiff from the sofa, but she sat up anyway and looked towards the kitchen. She could see Miroku and Sango standing, their backs to her.
Kagome strained her ears to listen, nothing.
Kagome stretched her arms high above her head and yawned loudly. Sango and Miroku turned around quickly.
"Good Morning, Sunshine," Miroku said, a big smile on his face. Sango almost grimaced beside him. Kagome looked at her for a long moment.
"Good morning," Kagome answered Miroku dismissively, "Sango, are you okay?"
Sango looked to Miroku. Miroku kissed Sango on the forehead before heading fo the door.
"I promised Inuyasha I'd meet up with him this morning. I'll see you guys later," Miroku let himself out.
Kagome got up and sat at the bar across from Sango.
"Okay, what's going on?"
Sango opened the fridge and tossed a yogurt at Kagome before grabbing two spoons and sitting down next to her.
"I've just been thinking about my life a lot lately. It's kinda awesome that you're the High Priestess, if you forget about the high mortality rate."
Kagome laughed a little while peeling back the top of her yogurt.
Sango licked the inside of her foil lid, before balling it up and tossing it across the room and into the trash.
"Do you remember when I asked you about having a fate that you can't get away from. Or being born into the wrong life?"
Kagome thought for a moment, "Yeah." She barely remembered, but that was one of the first real conversations she had ever had with Sango.
"I really want to go to college. I mean my grades aren't the best, but even community college is fine. I want to major in Photography, since my mom never got the chance."
Kagome was confused. She had no idea where this was going. But once you got Sango started, she barely stopped to take a breath.
"Maybe get a job taking pictures for a newspaper, or if I'm really good become a nature photographer, or one that works with models. Get married to who I want and have children because I want to, when I want to. And live whatever kind of life I want."
"Well if that's what you want, do those things. You're better off than me, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but now I don't have a choice." Kagome took a giant bite of yogurt, rolling around on her tongue before slurping it down.
"I don't know Kagome, I think it's better off to not have your dream crushed than to not have one. Every Priestess has a protector, or is supposed to. But the High Priestess has a special protector, a long line of demon slayers have been protecting the High Priestess as far back as anyone can remember. The strongest man and woman from the tribe were married so they could produce strong children and were selected to protect the High Priestess. That is their whole life. Living to keep someone else alive. They don't get to dream. In fact they are taught that dying in battle for your Priestess is the best thing that could ever happen."
Kagome had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. And she put her yogurt down, the taste turning foul in her mouth.
"My parents died fighting to protect the last High Priestess, as every other protector has for the past 100 years."
"So, you're my protector?" Kagome hated to ask the question, and what the answer would mean.
"Yeah, I am. But I'm not as upset about it as I thought I would be. Kagome you're my best friend, you're like my sister. Of course I want you safe, and I don't mind protecting you. But at the same time I want to live the life I envisioned for myself."
Sango looked at her, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"That makes me selfish doesn't it? I'm so sorry, Kagome."
Kagome stood up and pulled Sango into a hug. She held the girl who had replaced the family she once had. Her first real friend. Sango kept talking, her words muffled as she talked into Kagome's shoulder.
"But when I first met you I don't know. I just wanted to be your friend. But when I found out that you were the person I'm supposed to die for I was happy. Happy that I knew you and already liked you. And happy that you're a great person. But then I felt mad, because I don't want to die."
Kagome rubbed Sango's hair as she listened to her. Somethings were more coherent than others.
Kagome pulled back from Sango and held her at arms length.
"Sango, I don't want you to die for me. I'll live on, I'll keep being reincarnated into this terrible fate, but you only have this one life. So if it comes down to you or me, I don't want you to die for me. I want you to live your life. And of course it doesn't make you selfish for wanting to be happy. I don't want you to hate me, or resent me because I'm keeping you from being happy. "
Sango smiled slightly, "See. it's that shit right there that makes this so difficult."
Kagome laughed before sitting back down on her stool.
"We both got fucked over with this whole life thing, huh?"
They both gave a short chuckle, Sango wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.
"So is that what the whole, sleep in the bed thing was about?"
"Yeah, traditionally, I'm not supposed to be more comfortable than you. I, basically, work for you."
"Well, let's agree right now to get rid of that dynamic. We're equals. You're the closest thing to family I have, I don't want you to treat me any differently than you did two weeks ago."
Sango smiled at her, "Okay."
Kagome smiled back, "Now can we make some real food? This yogurt thing is not working for me, I'm starving."
"Sure," Sango laughed as she stood up grabbing both of their full cups of yogurt away.
"One last question?" Kagome said, her head inside the fridge as she pulled out the leftover pizza from the night before.
"Shoot."
"Have you and Miroku always been a thing? Or is this new?" Kagome didn't have enough time to dodge the roll of paper towels flying her way.