Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I own this story/concept...and your first born child. Enjoy the story~
Rated for profanity.
Summary:
There are some things that can be taught and others you can only learn through experience. Some subjects you can master and others you can completely fail at. No one ever said love was easy, but damn, no one ever told Inuyasha it was THIS difficult. Love in his 30's is harder than he thought. Can he get an A+ in the subject of love?
Learn It by Heart
Anxiety 101
A lesson in assisting with anxiety
Knock Knock Knock
To say things had taken a sudden turn would be the biggest understatement. Where to even begin?
Just breathe in and breathe out.
Should the doorbell be rung again? What the hell was taking so long? Give or take only a few seconds had passed since the sound of the doorbell resonated and there wasn't an answer, but maybe that was a sign that this was about to be an absolute shitstorm.
As the door began to open, not even the slightest sense of relief was felt.
"Hey, Kagome."
Kagome stood looking very antsy as she waited to be invited inside. Sango almost wanted to laugh at how nervous the poor girl seemed. She damn well looked like she was in the middle of a panic attack. Her hair was wet and was dripping onto her shirt, most likely do from leaving her house too fast and not having time to dry her hair after a shower as she stepped further inside.
"Come in, before you get sick." Sango quickly ushered her inside. "Excuse the mess, Inuyasha just messaged me thirty minutes ago, so I hadn't expected anyone to come tonight."
Kagome scanned what she could see from her position at the door. Surely this wasn't messy for Sango, this just couldn't be. Sango's place definitely looked cleaner than hers did despite them both having teenage boys running around the house and not cleaning up after themselves. On top of that, Sango had Miroku to look after.
Kagome stooped down and began taking off her shoes. "Pardon my intrusion." She couldn't keep herself from looking around at the lovely apartment.
Cream.
The apartment was decorated in soft creams and deep browns, giving off a sense of earthy cohesiveness amongst everything. It was oddly very organized as even everything on the table lined up perfectly.
Kagome was startled from her thoughts as Sango drew her attention to the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink?" Kagome shook her head as she admired Sango's living arrangements. She could only dream of having an apartment this well put together. Sango laughed as she pointed to the bedroom. "Then how about we get started?"
"Ah, yes, the whole reason I'm here…" Her astonishment was short-lived as all of her nerves flooded her system once more. "...Why am I here?"
Now it was Sango's turn to look uncomfortable as she grabbed Kagome by the hand and led her to the bedroom. Sango sat Kagome in front of her vanity mirror before lightly tugging on the band holding her hair. "Can I?"
Kagome nodded her head as she stared into the mirror. "I'm all yours." She watched as Sango tried to delicately work her hair out of the tight band behind her, fixating on her every movement.
"So," Sango finally asked as she opened a drawer. "What do you know? Why are you here?"
If I knew I wouldn't have asked. Kagome thought with a huff. Honestly, Kagome didn't know what the hell was going on. All she knew was that she was given specific instructions to show up at Sango's house on this lovely Saturday to prepare for whatever it was she and Inuyasha were supposed to do tonight. He hadn't answered any of her texts or calls since asking her out. The man hadn't even shown up at school over the last couple of days. There was no one to answer the millions of questions she had.
"I don't know. Inuyasha just told me to come here at 6. What do you know?" Kagome went to turn around to face Sango, but Sango gently guided her head back to the mirror before turning on the blow dryer.
If Kagome didn't know any better, she'd swear out Sango was in on whatever weird freaky thing Inuyasha had going on. It felt like hours of Sango blowing her hair dry before the buzzing finally died down and her head felt completely dry.
"Inuyasha didn't exactly clue me in either," Sango said as she hunched over to grab her curling iron.
"But you know more than I do, don't you?"
Sango paused for a moment, clearly thinking about how to answer before going to plug in the device. "Well aren't you happy, he finally a-"
Kagome cut her off before she could even get started. "No, he didn't. He asked me to be his date and you know those are two very different things."
Kagome was learning new things about Inuyasha each and every day. One thing she had known but that was really brought to light was that the man wasn't stupid. While at times he just said things without much thought, even she was sure he had chosen his wording carefully on that day. He had yet to ask her on a date and had opted for asking her to be his date. Now call her crazy, but she had really nitpicked about his wording and she fully understood that they were not going on a date.
Just behind her, on the bed, Kagome could see four different dress bags laid out. It was quite clear this was planned or that at least Sango's role in all of this was planned.
"So you know what's going on?" Kagome tried once more. "Why aren't you telling me anything?"
Kagome liked surprises as much as the next person, but only when she was in on it. Being surprised could either go one of two ways and Kagome didn't want to wait to find out. She understood Sango's and Inuyasha's friendship very well at this point, but she'd still like to believe that Sango had some loyalty to their friendship and that she wouldn't keep whatever was going on a secret any longer.
Sango gently grasped Kagome's hair in her hand before wrapping it around the curling wand. "Kagome, I really don't know what exactly is going on."
"But you know something is going on," she pushed.
Sango shrugged her shoulders before piecing off another section of hair. "I mean, Inuyasha only called and told me to help you prepare. I have an idea of what's going on." She answered honestly. "But it's not my place to say."
Not your place to say what? Kagome had a good mind to ask, but she could tell Sango wouldn't budge about it. Instead, she directed her attention to her reflection in the mirror. "Thank you." Kagome didn't typically curl her hair due to pure laziness, but the times when she did gave results that she really liked.
"You don't have to thank me. I'm always happy to help."
Kagome eyed Sango's hands as she worked her magic. "Where are Miroku and Kohaku?"
"They stepped out earlier and haven't been back since. You know how boys are, so secretive about what they're up to. That reminds me, Kohaku said he had free time next week and was hoping to meet Souta if there was time."
It was quite the dynamic Sango had going on with her life. With Sango being a little older and having far more life experiences than Kagome, Kagome was pretty interested in getting to learn more about Sango. Kagome's eyes drifted back to the young woman. In her eyes, Sango was taller than her, had far more knowledge, and had just as many life experiences as her. It drew Kagome to Sango even more to see some qualities she wanted in herself in the beautiful young woman.
Both had been living with their brothers, but Sango had practically been raising Kohaku since she was 17. Over the course of the last few weeks that they had become friends and Kagome had asked her for advice on more than a few occasions. It had been over a year of Souta and her moving to this city and Kagome still couldn't get the hang of how to run an easy-going household with her teenage brother. Kagome was more than grateful for anything Sango could say to help her when things got a bit hectic between her and her brother.
She's even about to be engaged…. Sango was only a few years older than her, but the difference between them was so vast in Kagome's opinion. They worked the same job but they were at such different places in life. Not a bad thing and certainly nothing Kagome envied Sango for, though it was something she had noted very early on.
"That would be great. I'll ask Souta about it. His schedule has been pretty inconsistent these days." More times than not, Kagome found herself eating alone after work with her brother either out studying or busy with club activities. With his school being over an hour away, it felt like she didn't see him much. To some degree, it bothered Kagome, which is why she felt so bad when she had forgotten to inform him of her plans during the few times they were able to spend time together. Even today, he was out with friends in another city, most likely living up his young life or studying at a cafe; she was more than thankful for the distraction of going out tonight.
"I'm almost done with your hair," Sango said as she began adding setting spray.
Kagome directed her attention back to her reflection once more. A smile couldn't help but come to her face as she saw the waves cascading down her back. Sango surely had a knack for doing curls that Kagome didn't have. On the vanity was an array of makeup that Kagome had no doubt would end up on her face after Sango finished with her hair.
"Sango, why do you think Inuyasha asked me to be his date?"
Sango set down the spray as she patted Kagome's shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine. So what's your guess?"
Kagome sighed. One day she would get Sango back for keeping her in the dark about everything. "Okay." She gave up, Sango wasn't going to say a single damn thing about Inuyasha and Kagome no longer had it in her to try to sneak it out of her.
"Why don't you come and look at the dresses now?" Sango asked as she walked to the bed and started unzipping the dress bags. "Like I said, I don't really know what Inuyasha is planning, so I just took a guess on why he suggested you come to me. And-"
"Wow." Kagome picked up the first dress that Sango had unzipped. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this surely wasn't it.
All Kagome knew was that wherever she was going tonight, it was going to be a night to remember.
"And you remember to text me as soon as you get back and spill on the details, ya' hear?" Sango asked as she helped Kagome into her heels.
Kagome could only nod as her stomach was a bundle of knots. Outside sat a very nice Chrysler 300. Kagome and Sango had already made him wait for five minutes as they had just barely finished putting on her makeup.
Kagome still wasn't sure how she felt about everything. As much as she loved getting dressed up and feeling like a princess, not having a sense of what was going on was absolutely killing her.
"I swear if you guys are plotting to kill me, I'll come back and haunt you first." If she joked, it would make her feel less nauseous, right? She could practically feel her stomach bubbling. The only reason she hadn't thrown up was that she didn't want to ruin Sango's lovely dress.
Sango finished adjusting the strap on Kagome's heels. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you and you already know Inuyasha would never walk you into any danger." Sango silently laughed to herself. Knowing how Inuyasha was, he'd probably beat up anyone that even looked at her funny.
Do I? Again, Kagome had to remind herself that no matter how close she felt she had become with these people over the last few weeks, she still couldn't say she knew them very well. At least out of the three of them, she felt Inuyasha and Sango could be trusted the most. She was still trying to feel Miroku out and she could already tell that he threw himself into odd situations and weird shenanigans eagerly. She still wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing though...
Kagome looked at the dress that adorned her slender body and the curls that cascaded down her chest. "I'll just assume you didn't make me this pretty to kill me off….Unless this is to prepare me for my casket."
Sango walked Kagome outside the door and held her dress as she walked down the stairs. "You're more likely to die of fun tonight." She gave Kagome a tight hug with a warm smile. "Just try to have fun tonight and give Inuyasha a chance...He doesn't ask people to be his date normally. I think Miroku and I are the only ones he's ever asked."
Kagome had denied Inuyasha asking her on a date because he technically hadn't. She had to wonder how much of a date it was if it was something Miroku had been invited to in the past though. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Tell Inuyasha he owes me for this too." She said as she gave Kagome a light push. "Now hurry off before your carriage takes off."
Kagome nodded her head as she took careful steps towards the car. What would she say when she saw him? "You owe me an explanation?" "What is going on?" Or should she let him have it for obviously ignoring her messages over the last two days?
Before Kagome could even open the door. The driver's door swung open.
To say Kagome was disappointed was an understatement. She didn't stare into the amber eyes she had gotten so used to over the last couple of weeks, but rather lavender-shaded eyes stared back.
"I'm here to escort you, Ms. Higurashi. You look absolutely lovely tonight." A man with the silkiest looking hair Kagome had ever seen smiled at her as he opened the door for her and held a hand out to help her into the car. He was a demon of some sort, but Kagome couldn't quite pinpoint his roots.
Kagome hardly had the time to be flattered by the man as she took a peek inside. There was no Inuyasha waiting for her, only more questions with no answer. Kagome turned back to Sango once more, somewhat wanting to run back and go home. Sango had yet to go up the stairs to her apartment as she waited to make sure her nervous friend was safely in the car before going inside. She offered Kagome a thumbs up.
Kagome placed her hand in the chauffeur's hand before allowing herself to be helped into the car. The man was careful with her as he made sure she watched her head and that her dress was in the car before shutting the door.
Once both were safely inside, he turned to her. "It'll take about 45 minutes to our destination."
45 minutes? Kagome tried to think of all the places they could reach from here within that time. They were surely going deep into the city if they headed southwest.
"You have complete control over the music, please help yourself to anything in the back, and if you get car sick, I have medicine for you in the front." He recited what sounded like a usual spiel that he probably had to say when meeting new people. "If for any reason we need to stop or if you are in need of anything, please do not hesitate to notify me."
"Thank you…" Kagome's eyes drifted to his name tag, "Tsukuyomaru." Boy if that wasn't a name, she wasn't sure what was. Had she not studied history and had a fairly good handle on pronouncing unusual and older names, she just may have struggled a bit. "Feel free to put on any of your favorite music."
"Thank you and the pleasure is all mine."
As the car took off and Kagome could see Sango waving, Kagome had to wonder what she had gotten herself into. She clutched the softness of her dress between her fingers before gently letting the silk slip from between them.
I can't wait to get my hands on him.
She could wait these 45 minutes, in fact, she was grateful for them as it gave her time to think. At this point, she didn't even know what to think, though one of the first things she wanted to be known was that she wasn't a fan of how things were playing out right now. She was nothing near mad, though being this much out of the loop as to what was going on was never something she would like.
It felt like hours of thinking and pondering and debating before Kagome could even begin to find the right words for what she wanted to say. 45 minutes just wasn't enough time to do anything except feel nervous and nauseous. Not only about what they were to do, but for how she looked. It would be the first time he'd see her dressed up. Just what would he say? When she thought about it, he hadn't said a single thing about her appearance. She didn't mind….but even Miroku had called her, along with his girlfriend, lovely at one point. Did he think she was average or maybe not his cup of tea?
She was startled at knocking on her window. "We've arrived."
"We're here?"
How had they made it here so quickly, wherever here was. Kagome gladly took the hand offered to her once more as she looked around.
"The Mandarin Oriental?" Kagome couldn't help but raise a brow at the strange place to meet. Why were they at a hotel? Of all the things Kagome thought about him, being a man to ask for a booty call wasn't one of them.
"Kagome."
Hearing Inuyasha's voice brought a small rush of panic and relief at finally being able to get answers. Kagome turned around at hearing her name being called. Her breath caught in her throat as he came closer to her. Inuyasha had his hair tied back, very similarly to how it had been on the rooftop when he had asked her to be his date. His hair was much neater and straighter now though. Kagome had seen him in work attire plenty of times before, but he carried a different air now that he was in a suit. The deep charcoal gray-colored suit caused his eyes to pop out even more than they already did as the colors contrasted against each other. The white of his collared shirt underneath was held nicely together by a crimson-colored tie.
He's too handsome.
She had to gently remind herself that she still had some choice words for him. Get it together, Kagome. But he had no business looking that good in a suit, god damn. She had never seen him in formal wear before, but she certainly hoped she could see more.
Before he could fully approach her, he stopped. He had stopped at just the perfect distance to make it awkward due to not being close enough to fully start a conversation without her raising her voice at him.
Ummm. Kagome could feel herself getting antsy and self-conscious again. He had yet to fully address her and she still had no idea what was going on. She took timid steps towards him, mindful of her dress and heels.
Her voice was sturdy and low as she asked, "Inuyasha, what is going on?"
As if shaken from his thoughts, his eyes softened on her before he directed his attention to the chauffeur. "You got her here safely." It didn't sound like a direct thank you to Kagome, but his tone of voice displayed the gratitude he felt.
"I'll be waiting here for you afterward." With a bow, the chauffeur went on his way to park the car.
Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kagome with a nervous look, Kagome hadn't seen him look this way since the night he got drunk. "I didn't have my phone with me all day and by the time I got to use it, I could only use it for a few seconds to ask Sango to help out today."
Kagome could only stare at the confusing man. He could probably tell from how she had asked that she wasn't quite happy with him. But more so than his nervousness for her, he seemed like a nervous mess in general. In these short two minutes they had been near each other, he hadn't looked her in her eyes as he normally did when speaking with her and his shoulders held a tenseness that Kagome felt was directed at her.
Kagome didn't want to say any of the things she had rehearsed in the car after seeing him now. She put on a gentle smile as she looked at the expansive building. Despite them being at a hotel, it didn't take rocket science to see they were here for some kind of event rather than to rent a room. For them to be at this kind of luxury hotel and for him to even get a chauffeur to get her made her feel distant from him.
What do I even know about him?
She clearly had a lot to learn about the man before her. Kagome smiled at him as she took steps to close the distance between them. I really want to learn all about him.
"You clean up well." She pointed out with a warm smile as she eyed him up and down. Kagome begged the God's not to let the flush of her cheeks betray how well she really thought he cleaned up. It wasn't a secret that he was rather attractive, but it really was a sin for him to look this good.
"I have my moments." He rubbed a nervous hand behind his head. "I'll explain everything….later."
She was happy he was going to at least take time to explain everything to her at some point. "I'll be patiently waiting."
A part of Kagome felt confused and slightly sad for his reaction. It was as if a giant weight was lifted off of his shoulders. While he still looked tense, he had visibly relaxed with her words.
"Don't judge me based on what's inside." His tone was heavy with disdain.
"...Unless there's some kind of …" Kagome tapped a single finger to her chin as she thought. "Some kind of masked murder or black market scheme going on in there, I don't think I'll judge you. There's not, is it?" She joked. If he was this tense, it was making her nervous about what may be inside the hotel. As he shook his head no, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Then, let's go." She took his hand in hers before tugging him in the direction of the entrance.
"Wait." He had held still and had pulled her back with little strength, but it was enough to make her practically fall into his chest. Inuyasha held her hand tightly in his as he steadied her against him.
Get it together, Kagome. Being this close to him and against him was enough to make her pass out. She probably would have had it not been for wanting to enjoy the experience of being against him. "What?"
"You look beautiful." It was one thing Inuyasha felt should be said before they walked in. "I should have said that as soon as I saw you."
Kagome found herself feeling extremely nervous with his attention on her. She wore a deep red off-the-shoulder lantern sleeve dress. The dress's lantern sleeves reached to the ends of her wrists, stopping right before the silver bracelet she adored. The tiniest slither of skin could be seen through the slit in her dress, though much was left to be imagined as the flow of her attire concealed her leg. It was a fairly simple dress, but Kagome felt absolutely beautiful in it considering that she never wore things like this.
Kagome took a few breaths to calm down. It couldn't be just her feeling how hot it was outside, right? "Thank you." While she had expected a compliment, she wasn't 100% sure she would get one from Inuyasha tonight. Not with how he held himself. She'd only ever heard him compliment Sango, though he had never complimented her looks.
Hand in hand, Inuyasha and Kagome walked inside the hotel. Kagome would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't almost bouncing in her heels. As the two got into the glass elevator, Inuyasha's behavior seemed to grow more and more strange to her. He looked just as anxious as she did and he had gone completely mute.
"Squeeze any harder and you'll break my hand, Inuyasha." Kagome gently warned him. She had said it lightly, but as the elevator rose higher and higher, his strength had increased to the point where it was hurting her.
Inuyasha immediately let go of her hand with a softened look. "Sorry, I'm a bit off."
Very obviously. He was clearly panicking about something and was not doing well visibly.
Kagome gently took his hand in hers once more and gave it a reassuring squeeze. If anything was to be communicated, it was that she was here for him and was going to be his rock throughout the night. She gently tugged him to the scenery before them as she pointed to the city with her free hand. It was her first time to come to the Oriental and her first to see the city lit up from such a high distance.
"Look at how beautiful it is." She prayed this would serve as a distraction for him.
"...It is." He replied as he scanned the city. It looked like there was more he wanted to say, but the elevator halted to a stop as they reached their destination.
As the doors slid open, the first thing Kagome noticed was music.
Violins.
How could she have been so stupid? If they were at one of the most luxurious hotels in Japan, why should she have expected anything less than out of this world? Just beyond the entrance, she could see a beautiful orchestra playing the prettiest of melodies in front of a stage. Hundreds of people mingled and talked amongst each other while drinking wine and eating finger food.
They had yet to even fully step inside the main hall and the atmosphere had already changed dramatically. Kagome turned to Inuyasha for some answers, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. His eyes were fully trained on the majority of the people.
"Shall we go in?" Kagome asked. She could only see but so much from where they stood and she was dying to see more.
He offered a stiff nod of the head before leading her inside. "Just stick by my side so we don't lose each other."
As Inuyasha led them to wherever they were to go, Kagome looked around at each and every person. Everyone seemed in a fairly upbeat mood minus the person gripping her hand. She felt a bit self-conscious as everyone seemed to be wearing long-sleeved or short-sleeved dresses, compared to her strapless dress. Hell, many of the women here even wore kimonos as they sat and dined and discussed things beyond Kagome's scoop.
"Congratulations, Takahashi" were given as Inuyasha made his way through the crowd.
Inuyasha had uttered small words of gratitude, though hadn't slowed his pace in order to have a proper conversation with anyone here. In fact, he had sped up. It wasn't until after they had passed through most of the people that Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to all of the happy people, Inuyasha seemed to be the only one in a foul mood.
"Do you want anything to drink? Water? Wine? Beer?" He asked.
"Do you? You look like you could use a combination of all three." Kagome asked as she looked over his shoulder at everyone. "What event is this?"
"A charity event. All of the proceeds go to an organization to provide an opportunity to those that want to learn older skills like blacksmithing and carpentering and shit." He stated as he flagged down a waiter. He took two glasses of champagne from the waiter before offering one to Kagome.
Why didn't he just tell me we were attending a charity event? While she had never been to one before, she could have easily prepared on her own. His behavior seemed all the more confusing now. "Cheers," she said as she clanked her glass to his and took a sip. If this was what the big deal was, she was sure the two would make it through the night with ease. "So you wanted me to be your date to a charity event?"
His face visibly reddened as he took a long swig of his drink. "I as-
"Takahashi-san." Two women called out.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's back went rigid. Two older women in floral kimonos approached them.
"Ms. Kunahara, Ms. Okizaki." Inuyasha addressed them politely.
He's going to break my hand again… Kagome tried her best to hold her tongue as Inuyasha squeezed the life out of her hand.
"We want to congratulate you and your family on a job well done."
"Thank you," he ended curtly, attempting to noticeably back away from the conversation.
"Now who is this with you?" All attention was directed to Kagome. No doubt they had seen them together and wanted to be nosy. "She's absolutely beautiful!"
"Is this your girlfriend? Your fianc-"
"No, she's my lovely date." Inuyasha cut them off.
The women exchanged glances between each other. "Then who is-"
"If you'll excuse us, I have a bit of business to finish."
Inuyasha gave a small bow before continuing on without waiting for a response. Unlike the other guests that mixed and mingled, Inuyasha had pulled Kagome a bit away from the crowd. Kagome couldn't say she was unhappy with it since there were a lot of people that made it difficult to move around. Sango had mentioned that both she and Miroku had come to these events before, so Kagome had to wonder if they were also pulled to the side away from everyone too.
"Sorry about that," Inuyasha said as he brushed a hand down the back of his head. "Everyone here is nosy as hell, you'll probably get a lot of people coming up to you."
More people coming up and telling her she looked beautiful while she also got to say she was Inuyasha's date for the night? Oh no, how terrible? It wasn't difficult and she was more than happy to say she would be by Inuyasha's side tonight. He looked so uncomfortable though, it made her feel bad for taking a bit of joy in this.
"Come here," Kagome said as she dragged him further towards the back. Once they were more so in the corner and further away from most of the people, Kagome took her hand out of his. "Now wait here for just a second."
In the short time she had, Kagome quickly walked to the finger food table and stacked as much food as she could on two plates without passing off as rude. Kagome felt she had a pretty good idea of what types of food Inuyasha liked and felt she had made the right decision.
Inuyasha looked just as confused as Kagome had when she first got here as she attempted to hand him the plate.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he took it from her.
Kagome pointed out at the sea of people in front of them with a smile. "You and I are going to people watch."
"People watch?" He questioned.
Clearly he didn't want to be here, so Kagome felt they could at least make the most out of the night by doing something that may be entertaining for the both of them.
"Mhm." Kagome pointed at an older couple. They looked like the sweetest people as they sat alone and laughed with each other. Kagome stood on her tiptoes and pulled Inuyasha close. "I bet you they were high school sweethearts that started a business together. Right now, they're laughing and talking about how the husband is on his 6th plate of shish kabobs and how he knows it'll upset his stomach later but that it's worth it to eat such delicious food." To illustrate her point, Kagome picked up her shish kabob before eating a bit of it.
Inuyasha laughed at the quirky girl before him. I made the right choice. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to invite Kagome, but there was no doubt that it was the best choice he had made in a long time. Inuyasha pointed at a young woman with a fairly deep glare set in place at another woman not too far from her. "I can wager this smoked salmon that she's going to talk with her with a fake smile when that other girl looks her way."
Kagome smiled as Inuyasha seemed to warm up a bit. "I'll take that bet."
Kagome and Inuyasha spent the next hour laughing and guessing the lives of the people around them. There were a few people that had come up to say more congratulations every now and then and to inquire about who Kagome was, but other than that they spent most of the night laughing with one another in their little corner. It was just slightly, but Kagome could definitely see an improvement in his attitude by how he addressed the people that came up to him after he was in a better mood. Eating, laughing, and just talking in a fine establishment. What more could he ask for?
Beep Beep Beep
"Ugh." Inuyasha grunted as he flipped his watch over to silence it, all laughter forgotten. "I have to go."
Kagome looked around the room. "Go...where?"
Inuyasha took her hand and led her back to the crowd. "I'll only be gone for about ten minutes. Can you wait for me for a sec?"
"Ten minutes is more than a second," Kagome giggled. "Of course."
He couldn't even laugh as a new set of frustration creased his face. Inuyasha sighed before going off into the crowd. Almost as soon as he had left her, Kagome lost sight of him between everyone. She smiled to herself as she held her hand to her chest. They had held hands almost all throughout the night. To say she was on cloud 9 was much of an understatement. As she had wanted, she was getting closer to Inuyasha and they were taking more steps in their friendship.
It wasn't long before the lights dimmed as the orchestra died down and whimsical bar chimes were played. A small woman took the stage as the spotlight shone on her. "We'd like to begin with words of thanks, if everyone could please quiet down."
As asked, everyone became quiet and all of their attention was directed to the stage. The MC smiled. "Thank you. The great Inu no Taisho, Touga Takahashi, and his son, Inuyasha Takahashi, will now take the stage."
The crowd erupted in gentle applause. It was the most subdued applause Kagome had ever heard, it was nearly comical. Her breath hitched as she watched Inuyasha take the stage. Compared to the lax way he had presented himself around her just moments before, he stood with a new persona in front of everyone. His back was straight and his shoulders squared as he gave a steely gaze to the crowd.
Before him stood a man, taller and broader with the same qualities Inuyasha held, though much harsher and chiseled.
"His father," Kagome mumbled to herself as she took a step closer.
The same golden gaze that matched Inuyasha's observed the people before him, commanding the attention of all with the simple action. His father's wavy locks had been tucked back behind him in a similar fashion to Inuyasha's as they wore nearly identical suits, though his tie and suit were a deep blue.
Like lighting down the sides of his face, deep indigo marks danced down his cheeks. His skin was tanner and his eyes nearly seemed lighter than Inuyasha's though there was no doubt Inuyasha was the spitting image of his father. Kagome was scared to look the older man in the eyes as his attention went in her direction. She highly doubted he noticed her out of the crowd of people, but it didn't unnerve her anymore for his gaze to linger her way.
With all attention on him, his father offered a warm smile directed at each and every guest. "It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you today. I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for your donations and contributions to our charity organization. We've reached our goal and have raised more than 100,000,000 yen to provide opportunities and education to those hoping to study more in older trades. None of this would have been possible without you all, so we thank you." The man motioned to Inuyasha as he took a step back and placed a strong hand on Inuyasha's back. "I'd like to allow my son to make a speech."
Kagome couldn't take her eyes off of Inuyasha as he took the stage. There was no sign of the discomfort he had displayed earlier. "As my father said, thank you for your time and efforts to help make our charity what it is. There are further plans to expand and do more to educate those and help those in need." As he began rattling off statistics, Kagome found herself questioning if this was the young man she truly worked with. This was a side of Inuyasha she just didn't know. It was almost scary to see how well he could switch it up.
"To achieve this noble goal, we have organized a charity ball and a charity fair. This organization is something my family has worked on for quite some time, to see that everything is paying off and that our goal was reached is something we are forever grateful for. Today, we are often constrained to our own domestic affairs. We think of our own future and what we can do to improve society. It is important to provide the opportunity to give to others and to invest in the people around us."
Inuyasha took a deep breath in as he motioned to everyone. "We appreciate your continued support and hope to continue to surpass your expectations for Takahashi corporation. Please don't only applaud my father and me for the work we have invested in this charity and organization, but applaud yourself for the steps you have taken to get us here today."
His father smiled at his son with a smile only a proud father could give. "We would like to thank you once more. In closing, I wish to thank all of you, family and friends, and our sponsors and donors, for your donations. Let's continue building the bonds of goodness through cooperation and mutual respect. Thank you all for being with us, joining us, and supporting our beginnings. Please enjoy the taiko performance we have prepared for you."
Just as quickly as the speech had started, it ended with taiko drums resonating throughout the building as performers took the stage. It had all happened so fast and Kagome was still processing the speech as the music continued on.
She ended up waiting for over forty minutes as Inuyasha had yet to make his way back to her. He had been so busy with pictures and talking that he had barely even taken a few steps in her direction. Kagome didn't mind it at all, she was even grateful for it as it gave her time to think about everything she had just witnessed.
"Wow." She mumbled as she scrolled through her phone.
Everything she thought she knew about Inuyasha had gone out the door with his speech. She wanted to know more about who this average high school teacher was, needed to know.
"Inuyasha Takahashi, heir to Takahashi Corporations, born September 13th, single, family relations, height blah blah blah." Kagome was only focused on one word. Heir. There was almost no other information about him as everything else was directed towards his father, his father's business, and his father's accomplishments.
This raised far more questions than it should have. There were almost no pictures of Inuyasha and if there was one, it was always pictures of him in a group. What the hell was someone as wealthy as him doing working as a high school teacher?
"Sorry-" Inuyasha rushed out as he approached Kagome.
"Can I get a picture of you and the missus?" Inuyasha offered Kagome an apologetic look while asking if it was okay.
Kagome nodded her head as she struggled to think of what pose to do. Inuyasha placed a gentle hand on her hip before pulling her a bit closer. She placed a gentle hand on his chest as she attempted to give a bright smile to the camera. As soon as the camera flashed, Kagome relaxed next to Inuyasha. He had naturally fallen into a pose, it made her think how often he must have done things like this. The cameraman gave a quick word of thanks before going to take more pictures of the couples around them.
"Sorry."
Kagome looked at the stage where Inuyasha once stood. The guy could do acting if he wanted, he looked completely frazzled in front of Kagome now.
"I just want to know what's going on," Kagome stated clearly. "You don't need to apologize for a single thing though."
Inuyasha heaved a heavy sigh, one of many that he had heaved tonight. "I only had to come to give that speech and make an appearance. Maybe you want to eat more or stick around, I don't know how often you come to shit like this. We can get some food and talk about it."
What kind of person would Kagome be if she asked him to stay? Even if she had wanted to linger around a bit, she would never ask that of him after seeing how uncomfortable he was. Clearly, he wanted to be anywhere else but here, she had never seen him look so miserable.
"Let's leave, my feet are killing me," Kagome said as she began tugging at him to leave.
Inuyasha held still, refusing to move even slightly. "We can stay if you want to, I don't mind."
Kagome wasn't too sure if she believed that. "I promise, it's fine if we leave, but actually," She took her hand from his as she pointed to where she believed the bathroom to be. "Let me just use the restroom, I'll be two seconds." With as much champagne as she had drunk earlier, she was surprised she hadn't thought about going to the restroom sooner.
Inuyasha smiled. "Around the corner towards the back." He said as he guided her pointed finger in the correct direction.
"I'll be back in a flash."
Kagome walked to where Inuyasha had pointed and happily found the bathroom.
"Wow," Kagome said as she looked around the bathroom. "This is the cleanest bathroom I've ever seen. I can't wait to tell Souta about tonight." Surely her brother would be so excited to hear about her Cinderella-like night.
She was quick to use the bathroom before going to wash her hands and check herself in the mirror. Sango really had done a number on her with how well her makeup and hair held up through the night. If teaching didn't work for Sango, going into the makeup profession would surely work out.
Kagome brushed her hair behind her ear as she adjusted the sleeves of her dress. Inuyasha had said he'd explain everything in the end and the end was near. Just what exactly could he tell her after this?
She gently patted her cheeks, she could feel the light touch of her hands. If she pinched herself, it would surely hurt. Tonight wasn't perfect, but she had been having fun talking with Inuyasha and eating with him.
"Careful."
Kagome was startled from her thoughts by another woman walking into the restroom. It was clear the woman was looking at her expectedly as she waited for Kagome to respond.
"Pardon?" Kagome asked.
The woman approached Kagome before crouching and gently tugging at Kagome's dress. "You should be careful." Kagome hadn't realized her dress had gotten caught underneath her heel until the young woman pulled the dress from underneath it.
"Oh, thank you." As the woman stood, Kagome gave her a quick look over. A young woman no taller than her stood and turned towards the mirror to fix her makeup. Her long dark hair was tied into a braid that trailed down her back. A sleek black dress clung to her slender figure, showing off just how small her frame was. Kagome was somewhat in awe of her beauty, the woman truly looked like she fit in this type of setting.
"You're Takahashi-san's date?" She questioned with a slight smile. "All eyes were on you two tonight, you seemed to be the topic of conversation for many."
Kagome could feel her cheeks heat at the thought. Inuyasha and she had been in the corner all night alone, minus when people came to talk with them, she couldn't imagine people carrying on a conversation about her afterward.
"I am," she answered after some time.
"What company are you with?"
"I'm not affiliated with any company. I was simply asked to be his date." Kagome felt the need to clarify.
The woman seemed slightly shocked at Kagome's words as she stopped applying her lipstick before going back to apply it once more. "Well, that's lovely, isn't it?
"...It is…" How was she to reply to that?
It was silent for quite some time as the woman finished touching herself up. Kagome wasn't sure if it was impolite for her to walk out or if she should stay.
"The red really suits you. However," The woman took a few steps towards Kagome. The small movement caused Kagome's heart to beat quicker as she took note of how much taller the other woman was up close. "I think this would add to your beauty." The woman gently removed the silver hair comb that held her bangs before gently placing it in Kagome's hair.
The woman had done so in such a graceful and smooth action, Kagome could feel her palms sweat. Her hand trailed down Kagome's curl before gently letting the end of the curl swing around her finger and bounce off.
"Have a lovely night, Ms. Higurashi." The woman excused herself as she made her way back to the crowd.
Kagome leaned against the counter as she took a second to register everything. It was such an intimate act exchanged between strangers that Kagome hadn't expected at all. She placed a gentle hand on the hair comb placed in her hair. She had thought it a few times throughout the night, but there was a clear difference between her and the people here, just as there was a difference between her and that woman. The fact that she even felt confident enough to approach Kagome, touch her, and give her what was no doubt an expensive accessory spoke volumes.
"How did she know my name?" Kagome asked as she tried to compose herself. Any longer in the bathroom and Inuyasha would think she got lost in here.
If everyone really had been talking about her as the woman said, then it was natural that those around her knew her name since she had given it out to a few people that had asked. What was there to really say about her other than that she was Inuyasha's date for the night though? Could people really have a whole conversation around a high school teacher as an heir's date? Kagome left the bathroom feeling a bit off as the differences between the two sunk in.
As Kagome left the bathroom, she was highly aware of each and every eye on her. There were a lot more than she had thought there had been. Now that she thought about it, just where were those pictures going to be posted? How many people would see her with Inuyasha? Would it be okay for them to be seen like that? As she was so forcibly reminded, she didn't work for any fancy company, she was just a high school teacher. Why was she feeling so self-conscious now towards the end?
All thoughts about what she was or wasn't melted away as she laid eyes on Inuyasha. His face lit up as she waved at him.
"I thought you snuck out the bathroom windows for a sec." Inuyasha joked.
"On the 64th floor?" Kagome asked with a laugh. No date could be that bad.
"Keh. You took your sweet time."
"I got a bit distracted," Kagome said as she fingered the hairpin. At Inuyasha's questioning glance, Kagome smiled. "A guest gave it to me in the bathroom."
He didn't seem all that surprised. "A few jewelry company owners are here, she probably thought you looked nice and wanted you to wear something from her collection. More publicity for her since there are pictures taken of you." Inuyasha looked at his watch before pulling his phone out from his back pocket. "I'll call the chauffeur and-"
"Actually," Kagome gently placed her hand over his phone with a smile. "I have a better idea."
Kagome lightly hummed as the two walked along a riverside framed with trees. Hand in hand, Kagome walked on the ledge lining the river as Inuyasha walked alongside her. After suggesting they walk outside, Inuyasha had gotten quiet and hadn't said much since the walk began. He held onto the straps of her heels and his jacket with his right hand while holding Kagome's hand in his left to help her as she walked on the raised ledge.
"Ya' know, this place looks beautiful in Spring," Kagome stated as she looked at the green perennials. She had only seen pictures of the cherry blossoms littering the green trees above them, but she could imagine how great this place looked during that time. "I want to come here again when it's Spring if I get the time." It's not like the place was too far from where they lived, she had just never gotten the time to go since moving closer to town. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. "Let's come back and have hanami here one day."
Inuyasha was surprised that she had mentioned them doing something together in the future. Something so far off in the future at that. She thought they would be friends next year?
"I was filling in for my brother," Inuyasha suddenly spoke. "He was on another business trip apparently, so I was asked to take his place." When Inuyasha had received the phone call telling him that he had to attend the event, he had immediately gotten pissed. Somehow, there was no way in hell he could picture his brother giving thanks to anyone. It almost seemed like a concocted plan to get him to attend such an event.
Kagome swung their hands back and forth as she looked at the trees above them. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" Now that they were finally talking about everything, she wanted a clear explanation as to why he didn't just explain everything to her upfront. "Why all the secrecy? I would have preferred you tell me about….all of this instead of me showing up with no clue at all."
He shrugged his shoulders as if this wasn't such a serious topic. "No real reason. I wanted to tell you when I wanted to tell you, but I asked you to be my date before I had time to explain this."
Well ouch, that was a clear explanation that he hadn't planned to tell her anything for quite some time. She just so happened to get lucky that he asked her on a date spontaneously and she was exposed to everything.
"So then explain clearly." He came from money and worked as a teacher, that much she had gathered. He's more than entitled to open up about himself at whatever pace he pleased, but Kagome was a little more than eager to hear it now. "You've gotten me this far. You said not to judge you by what I saw in there and I'm not. I'm judging you by what you say right now." Judge was much too harsh of a word, but she only really cared about what he said in this moment, not about all of the fluff and expenses that were inside the hotel.
"My family runs Takahashi Corporation. I used to work for my father up until earlier this year when I quit and got disowned…Kind of. That's all."
Kagome stopped walking, causing Inuyasha to stop as well. Okay, so there was a lot she had expected him to say, but that wasn't it. She searched his face for any expression to give way as to what he was thinking but he refused to meet her eyes. "You're what?" Maybe she had heard him incorrectly.
"Disowned…Kind of…." He chuckled. "I told my father I wanted nothing to do with his shitty business and got disowned because my father didn't like that. Well not exactly, but we're as close to disowned as two people can get without the paperwork. I say disowned, but maybe estranged is a better term. That's really all there is to say. I can't say anything about the business because I'm not really a part of it anymore."
Now it all made sense. His behavior throughout the night, the uncomfortable air around him, and his strong avoidance to be surrounded by everyone. He truly didn't want to be here and interact with anyone involved with his father's business. "So why did you come tonight if you're 'disowned'?"
"Because my dumbass father is smart. When I took over my position in his company, I was under contract and still technically am even if I quit. By quitting, I relinquished my position, but my contract is still very much active as his employee and son. He calls me when he needs me to show face and the only thing I can do is come. I don't have to put up with as much shit now that I don't work for him though."
Kagome really had to wonder what went on in the company for him to willingly quit and even be disowned over it. She couldn't say she quite understood the extent of it considering that he was still doing things he didn't want to for his previous job, but it didn't seem like a good situation. "So you quit working as a…"
"Co-vice president and CEO."
Kagome wasn't sure how much money one made as a CEO in a good business, but surely it was more than a measly teacher salary.
Kagome carefully hopped down from her ledge with Inuyasha's assistance. "So do you th-"
"Don't ask if I think I made the right decision." For those that did know he quit and basically got disowned, he was somewhat of a laughing stock. Millions of people dreamed of being in his position and all he did was give it up. It annoyed him how everyone responded to his 'stupid' decision. Are you crazy? Do you know how much money you're giving up? I would've killed to even step foot in Takahashi Corp. Are you an idiot?
Kagome shook her head as she resumed walking once more. "I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to ask, 'Do you think you're happy with your choice?'"
It was the first time anyone had asked Inuyasha that, he was slightly taken aback. She didn't look like she wanted to call him crazy and she surely didn't look like she thought he had given up very much with his decision. "Yea, I am. I wanted to regain at least a little control of my life. It's been set in stone that I work for the family company, but that's not what I want to do."
"What's most important is that you live your life as you want," she said as she gave his hand a tight squeeze. "A lot of people thought I was crazy when I gave up my job at Shikon to help my family out. I remember how much I hated people questioning my decision, so I'd never question yours. For me, family is more important than any penny I could make working, so it wasn't even a question of if I wouldn't take the job. Family is all I have at the end of the day."
That was the most Kagome had elaborated about not taking the high-paying job she had been offered prior to starting work as a teacher.
We really do have a lot in common. She had made it a point to tell him that things don't always work out the way you plan it, there was no doubt she could write a story about her own life and the things that have happened outside of her control.
I really like her. Kagome had more than proven that she was the right person to ask to be his date, he thanked the Gods for putting her in his life. To be able to walk hand in hand with her tonight was like a dream come true. This was truly the girl he wanted.
"My mom would say the same thing, she really valued and loved her family more than anything in the world."
Kagome smiled at the fond look that came across Inuyasha's face. He really loved his mother from the way his face softened as he talked about her. "Family is important to you too, isn't it?"
Inuyasha thought about it. "Family, yes. But what's left of my family? Not so much," he answered honestly.
Kagome thought back to the affectionate look that came across his father's face as he presented his son to the crowd. Maybe they were just a family of really good actors, but that look seemed hard to feign. She believed every word Inuyasha had spoken, but it was still hard to think that he had such a complicated family dynamic. Would his mother really marry someone so cold and calloused?
"Are your father's views about family the same as your mother's?"
Yet again, Inuyasha was surprised by the question. It was something he hadn't really thought of before. It took him some time, but eventually, he answered, "Yes. After mom passed away, I'd say he had a lot of regrets about how he did things and how things unfolded. Don't get me wrong, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he looked at her. "I know my father cares about me and even loves me as odd as it seems."
It felt off to say out loud, especially after the hell his father had put him through. At this point in his 30 years of life, he knew he and his father could never see eye to eye on things. That's just how life is and would be.
"It's just that this is his way of showing it. Every single shitty and controlling thing he's done to me is because he loves me." Inuyasha felt the need to clarify it a bit further. "My father and I are completely different though. I'd never do any of this stuff to my kids. Family is just as important to me as it was to my mother. I just haven't had a family in a long time."
What spell had she cast to get him to open up so much? Had he drank too much champagne? Did she spike it? Inuyasha instantly regretted each word he said he looked at Kagome. It really seemed like she cared about the topic of family itself as her eyes became downcast at hearing him talk.
"But it's not like that matters," Inuyasha rushed out. "When I have a family of my own, it'll be nothing like mine." It was odd for him to speak about a family with the woman he liked. In a way, he wanted a family with Kagome if they could get further in their relationship. A nice family with a child or two in a house in the city. Inuyasha could feel his face grow red as his ideas ran rampant. "And-"
"Inuyasha," Kagome asked as she cut him off gently.
Inuyasha swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yea?"
Her smile grew as she slowed to a stop once more. Her eyes drifted to their interlocked hands before she looked directly into his eyes. "How would you like to meet my family?"
Arc 1
Chapter: 6/ 8
(6/22)
Posted: 12/15/21
Words: about 10,400
Pages: 24
This chapter was mostly to give you an insight into both Inuyasha and Kagome's life.
Go check out the Oriental's webpage to see everything. It is GORGEOUS!
Check out Kagome's dress, it's also gorgeous and I want it lol.
Dress: Joyfunear Off Shoulder Lantern Sleeve Split Thigh Dress (from SheIN unfortunately)