Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. They are the sole property of Takahashi Rumiko.

-To Sip of Black Velvet-

Chapter 12: Imagination

I think he hated it when I asked.

He'd never really answer my questions about her or their life or how he'd come to marry this being that I believed stood between me and my happiness. The only thing he'd reiterate was that they were not mates.

Even so I wondered why he wouldn't talk about her

Perhaps he just didn't care or perhaps he was trying not to hurt me anymore than I already was. Or maybe it was just because he believed that she just wasn't any of my business. I really didn't know as his expressionless expression left so much to the imagination.

But I couldn't really drop it.

At first I'd started it as a way to cope. It was merely a game that I started playing in my head because his expressionless face really did help to fuel my imagination.

I created my own ideas of what his married life was like, my own imaginary world that revolved around them. He was stoic and aloof, hard and cold to her like I'd seen him be to so many others. And she was conniving and manipulative. I pretended that they argued endlessly, far more than he and I ever could, and that he missed me whenever he was with her. I told myself that she made him sick and I told myself that I was better in every way. And at some point I started to believe it.

But then I saw her one day—and everything changed.

It was on accident. I had been feeling particularly lonely and had decided to pay my mother a visit. She decided that it was the perfect time to try and drag me along on a shopping trip knowing that neither of us had enough money to buy anything. We went into one of the stores that I knew neither of us could afford, and I laughed when she enthusiastically picked up several items and headed for the dressing room.

I waited right outside for her, not willing to look around the store and fall in love with something I couldn't have. The significance of that thought wasn't lost on me and I began thinking about how my "relationship" had started with Sesshoumaru.

I was startled out of my thoughts when someone came out of a dressing room and I turned around thinking it was my mother. The woman who exited was the type of woman who demanded attention and I couldn't help but watch her. Tendrils of her inklike black hair spilled out from the high elegant up-do that was pulled up at the crown of her head. Twirling slowly with grace, she showed off a sleek purple dress to a younger girl with white hair, who by the looks of it was her personal attendant. The black haired woman was taller than me, slender and shapely, and had feathers in her hair that made her look exotic. When she stopped twirling, I got a better look at her and noticed the bold red lipstick she wore and the bright red eye shadow that creased her lids. She looked up at me with questioning scarlet eyes and then asked for my opinion.

"Is it too much?" The demoness questioned and for a moment I was taken back by her tone. She sounded—intense. Extremely feminine but laced with a confidence that had me questioning why she would ask for anyone else's opinion of her at all.

"Not at all, you look very nice." I said with a smile and I meant it. She was in every sense of the word, beautiful and it would have been a lie to say anything different.

'Thank you—um what's your name?" she asked while motioning for her attendant to pass her one of the many other things she was set to try on.

"Kagome." I said as she eyed a yellow dress that rested on her assistants arm.

"Well, Kagome, I'm Kagura and this is Kanna." She said. "But more importantly you have got to try this on."

She held out the yellow dress for me and motioned for me to enter the dressing room she'd just come out of.

"Oh no, the clothes here are so expensive." I laughed. "If I accidentally tore it, I'd have to work weeks to pay it off."

"Nonsense, what are the chances of that happening?" She smiled as she asked it. "If it does I'll buy it myself for making you try it on in the first place."

She shook the beautiful dress in front of me teasingly and I took it into the dressing room to try on.

When I exited she exclaimed "See, I told you so. It's perfect on you."

I looked in the tall mirrors and had to admit that I'd never looked more exquisite. I smiled and thought about how I wished for Sesshoumaru to see me like this. He'd probably think nothing of it, since he insisted that I was always beautiful, but honestly I was tired of feeling out of place when surrounded by his luxuries. 'It would be nice to wear something like this.' I thought before I took one long look at the price tag.

Sighing I headed back towards the dressing room to change when Kagura stopped me.

"Don't bother taking it off. I believe I see a tear in it so it looks like I'll have to buy it for you after all." She smiled at me again and started leading me towards the register, her hand rested reassuringly on my shoulder.

I resisted but she warned me that she would not take no for an answer.

At the register, she talked to the employee as if they were old friends. With all the clothes that she had Kanna carrying around for her I supposed that they probably were something like old friends. After everything was paid for, Kanna spoke up from behind us.

"Mrs. Taisho?" She called to Kagura. And I couldn't hear the rest of whatever came next over the blood that started to pump loudly in my ears. 'Taisho?'

My breath caught in my chest and my heart beat sped up. She was his wife? For a moment I felt threatened by her presence and my emotions got the better of me as my miko powers simmered over my skin. Kagura screamed as the hand she'd rested on my shoulder was singed.

"I'm so sorry!" I yelled out loud as Kagura glared at the seared flesh of her palm.

"It's… alright." She said but the expression on her face had changed. Her aura had darkened and her red eyes pierced me frighteningly. "You're a miko?"

"I—I…" I tried to answer but as I looked at her now all I could see was Sesshoumaru's wife. I was conflicted. She had been so nice to me, so unlike what I had been imagining her to be, that I didn't know if I should be angry or relieved. As much as I wished at that moment that I could, I couldn't quite look at her as being my enemy any more. And even though the menacing look on her face did not exactly speak of the same feelings, I still felt ashamed. "I'm just, so very sorry." I managed to get out as I turned to hastily make my way towards the exit. And I was sorry to this woman. I'd stood there, smiling in her face, as she selflessly bought me clothes that her husband wouldn't have hesitated in taking off of me. It was sickening. I was sickening.

"Kagome!" I could hear my mother calling after me as I ran away but I was too busy trying to fight off the stinging feeling building up behind my eyes.

The whole time I had been thinking that I deserved him, that I was meant for him, that I was somehow better for him. I had never once thought about his wife—about Kagura—as anything more than an obstacle in my way. I had painted a mental picture of her in my imagination that helped me to believe that what I was doing was okay. But after looking directly in her face I realized that it wasn't.

I could not do this anymore.

And my eyes were too clouded over with my tears to notice that her cold eyes never once stopped glaring after me as I ran out of the store.

Word Count: 1412