Authoress' Notes: So, yeah, um...I'm baaaaaaack (again).
All Good Things Must Come to An End
Let's End with a Smile
'I'll really miss her…' Sango thought to herself wistfully as she walked the halls of the oversized apartment complex. Even after taking in another resident who was full of so much life and joy, the complex that was bought out just for the Tao's comfort and privacy seemed way too big and empty. And without Kagome around, Sango knew that it would feel even larger, even emptier, like the universe if the sun were to suddenly disappear. She walked past the dining table that she was able to finally eat with her cousins at.
'It's all thanks to her…' Sango believed. 'If it weren't for Kagome, I don't know if I would have ever been able to stand at their sides as an equal, as a family member…' Memories of her first breakfast eating with her cousins and Kagome came to her mind...
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The sun seemed to be beaming harder and brighter than usual this morning. Sango's violet eyes opened slowly and groggily… for a moment, she gave in to the urge to close them once more. 'I have to make breakfast…' She told herself as she willed herself out of bed. It was a few hours after she made the assassination attempt on Ren's life. She honestly felt like complete garbage after spending so long being up and active, trying to prepare herself to commit murder. And then, it felt like she had spent so long crying afterward…
Sango sat up slowly in her bed. Something felt different. She looked at the digital alarm clock next to her bed and paled at what it read. 'Oh, sh—'
9:00 A.M.
Breakfast was supposed to be on the table by now! With a welcome rush of adrenaline, Sango sprung to action. She did not have time to freshen up. She practically ripped her plain, pink nightgown off her body, and hobbled and shimmied her way into her favorite kimono as fast as she could. There was no time to even do her hair. Sango rushed down the hallway, making several sharp turns until she skidded to a halt with her bare feet on the polished wooden floor as she arrived at the dining room.
She was expecting to see Jun smiling politely but irritably, Ren glaring at her and impatiently tapping his finger on the tabletop, and Kagome looking rather worried about her being late—but she did not. Rather, it was the exact opposite of what she expected.
Kagome and her cousins… they were all still in their pajamas, as if they did not bother freshening up either. But moreover, Kagome was wearing a cute, frilly pink apron over her white nightgown; Ren sported a plain-white one over his black pajama set, and Jun was wearing a lacy, purple apron over her lilac-colored sleeping gown. Kagome pointed at the center of the table and commanded, "Place the casserole right in the center, okay?" Ren glowered as he clumsily gripped the handles of a metal, rectangular baking pan that was steaming with an amazing tantalizing aroma. "That's not the center! Are you blind?!" Kagome almost shouted.
"Listen, you!" Ren whipped around to glare at the bossy girl, only to spot Sango in his peripheral vision. "Oh, it's you." It was his attempt at a greeting. At least, that's what Sango wanted to believe.
"Yeeaah…" Sango dragged out the response in a breathy voice, one that was filled with uncertainty and a bit of apprehension. Her eyes jumped from Kagome who looked just as surprised she did, to Ren who was almost pouting with a face reddened by frustration, to Jun who gave her a smile that neither polite nor irritated. It was a genuine, pleasant smile. "What's… going on?" She asked as she took a few tentative steps forward, unsure if she was dreaming this up or not.
"Oh," Kagome's head dropped a bit with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, I thought we'd finish before you woke up," she replied without answering Sango's question. The branch Tao sent Jun a look of confusion, asking for answers with her eyes.
"Heehee," Jun giggled, her feminine, round shoulders bobbing up and down with the action. "Kagome-chan had a splendid idea," she began. She ignored Ren's blatantly loud mutter of, "Splendid, my ass," and continued, "She figured that you'd be too exhausted to do your morning chores, so she suggested that we cook breakfast for you for once." The green-haired teen clapped her hands together and smiled, "And it truly was a wonderful experience~! Ren is like a hen-pecked husband~!" She cooed.
"What hen is pecking ME?!" Ren suddenly shouted as he all but slammed the dish down onto the center of the table before glaring at Kagome for approval, which she gave with her a grin and a thumbs-up.
"I see…" Sango whispered slowly with wide eyes. She was still waiting for the moment that she would wake up from this crazy dream, but when Kagome ran up to her and grabbed her arms to eagerly drag her over to the table, she knew that it was no dream.
"Come on, Sango-chan!" Kagome urged her with excitement bursting her voice into a slightly higher pitch than normal. "You must be starving! Come sit here!" The younger teen pulled out a chair next to Jun and practically forced Sango to sit down in it.
Sango sent another confused look at Jun once Kagome went back to barking orders. Her calls for "Bailong-niisan, where's the fruit bowl?!" and "Tao-kun, stop being a bum and bring out the drinks!" were drowned out by Sango homing in on her cousin's face and voice. "I know that this may come as a surprise to you, but Kagome-chan has been right all along. Branch member or not, you're our family too. It'll take some time getting used to being different, but…" Jun smiled and Sango gasped. "I want to redeem us all. And I want us to become closer."
Sango's lower lip began to tremble as hot streams began to spill from her eyes just as quickly as they did earlier that morning. "I… I do too. I want to become closer to you both," Sango replied through her tears. She swiftly lifted her arms to wipe them away.
Just then, Kagome returned into the dining room with Bailong close behind her with a large bowl of freshly chopped fruit in his hands. She saw Sango's crying face and immediately, the younger girl's face flushed as she turned to glare at Ren, who had just set a tray of drinks of the table.
"Tao-kun, stop picking on Sango-chan!"
"What?! I didn't do anything this time!"
"This time?! So you did do something!"
"I swear to God, woman…!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango smiled at the memory. She somewhat regretted oversleeping. The gesture of breakfast being made for her truly was kind and refreshing. But now, she wished that she was there when the breakfast was being made. Despite Kagome and Ren's bickering, Bailong's inaptitude for hosting, and Jun's constant giggling and teasing… she wanted to be there to help and participate in the breakfast-making that morning.
["Tao-kun and I teamed up on this breakfast casserole!"]
["You mean you forced me to do all of the manual labor."]
["Oh, hush. You totally had fun."]
Sango sighed as her fingers glided across the tabletop as she walked by. A few minutes later, she rounded to corner and found herself at the hallway that lead to Kagome's room—but she had found that she had been beaten to the punch. Ren stood next to Kagome's door with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. His eyes were closed as he looked as if he was contemplating something important. Sango was sure that she could guess what was on his mind in three tries or less. She stifled an amused laugh before whispering to him, "If you have anything to say to her before she goes, you better do it soon."
Ren opened his eyes and looked at Sango, casually, unabashed and just as unsurprised about her presence as she was about his, "Mind your own business, Sango," he replied nonchalantly. Sango could not help how her smile widened at his tone. It was so casual, so normal. There was no hint of a command or true ill intent. It was such a drastic change from what she experienced from majority of her life as a Tao. "What are you grinning about?" Ren asked as his eyes narrowed and he gave her a suspicious look.
"I'm not going to tease you," Sango told him as she walked right by him and knocked on Kagome's door. "I'm just happy for you. I'm happy for all of us." She told him before opening the door and allowing it to close behind her, but not before giving Ren one last smile that made him roll his eyes.
Meanwhile, inside of the room, Kagome spun around as she held up the adorable white nightgown that Jun had bought her up to her body and asked with a pout, "I'm trying to decide what to take with me, but it's sooooo hard!"
"Oh ho?" Sango asked with a teasing smile. "Too many choices in clothing? You're starting to sound like a true lady of the Tao family~!" She pointed out with her hands behind her back in a coy position.
Kagome then returned the smile with one of her own, "Oh ho~? Well, if I'm going to marry you, then I will become a true lady of the Tao family~!" She then placed a hand daintily near her mouth like a stereotypical noblewoman with a mocking, "Ohohohoho~!"
Sango's cheeks puffed with air as she tried to hold a laugh in.
Kagome noticed this and grinned before nearly pouncing on the older girl, her gown falling to the floor as a result. "Oh, if you think it's so darn funny then you should do me the courtesy of gracing my ears with your harmonious laughter, Sango-sama~!" She urged playfully as she tickled Sango's ribcage, causing the older girl to involuntarily erupt into a fit of laughter than made Ren jump from the other side of the wall.
"K-K-Kagome—HAHAHAHAHA... CHOWN!" Sango struggled between laughs. "S-stop! HAHAHAH! It's too MUCH!" A wide, victorious grin spread across Kagome's face as she relented and Sango fell to her knees, huffing for the sweet release of inhaling air. Sango glared up at the priestess, who she was now convinced was the devil himself, and told her, "You're cruel."
Kagome's grin merely turned into a sweet smile as she knelt down. "Sorry," she apologized, despite knowing that Sango was only kidding, "I just had to." The priestess poked Sango right between her widow's peak and told her, "When you looked at me holding up my gown, you suddenly looked so sad."
Sango's facial expression became one of mixed feelings. "I… I don't want you to go," she confessed. Kagome stood up straight and Sango relaxed into a sitting position as she continued speaking from her heart, "The time that I spent with you here in this apartment… they were the happiest times that I've had in such a long time," Sango inwardly cursed herself for her weakness as her vision became blurrier and blurrier. "I know that it hasn't been a long time, but… Kagome-chan, you're the best friend that I've ever had," Sango said as she looked up at Kagome with watery eyes. "And probably the best one that I ever will have."
Kagome sniffed as her eyes began to tear up at the sight of how scared and lonely Sango looked sitting down on the floor. For the first time ever, Sango looked so small and weak. The older girl had been someone who Kagome had looked up to for being so perfect. She was someone who Kagome wanted to never see look so sad again. "Sango-chan…" She whispered before she knelt back down and pulled the Tao into the tightest hug that her body could muster. "I know how you feel, Sango-chan," Kagome responded with just as much sincerity and raw emotion.
"When I first met you, you seemed so sad and lonely, you reminded me of myself…" Sango's eyes widened at those words, but she did not interrupt. "It also perplexed me how someone so strong felt so trapped and isolated. It wasn't fair. I watched you. You never did anything wrong. You did your best to please your family, and you were never truly acknowledged." Kagome explained, "So that's why I needed to be your friend. I needed you to know that you're loved and that you're a human being worthy of standing at anyone's side!" Sango sniffed from her spot in Kagome's embrace. "But still, I have to go now," she concluded, her voice was soft as a feather but her tone was firm as rock.
The Tao wrapped her arms around her best friend and closed her eyes, settling for embracing her. She knew that Kagome needed to return home to her other family. She knew that Kagome was needed elsewhere. 'I can't be so selfish…' Sango thought to herself as they finally pulled away and exchanged watery smiles. "I'm sorry," The Tao apologized while wiping her eyes dry with her sleeve.
"Don't be," Kagome replied while wiping her own tears away and smiling, "We needed this."
Sango nodded and she got to her feet. She dusted off her clothing before bending over to pick up Kagome's discarded gown. She handed the silky dress over to Kagome and smiled, "You should definitely keep this. Jun always gushed about how cute it looked on you." Kagome accepted it with a nod but blinked when Sango got so close that her neck hovered over Kagome's shoulder. The older girl whispered into her ear, "Besides, maybe that Yoh-kun of yours will think the same~?" Sango pulled away and laughed lightly at how Kagome's face instantly went red at the thought.
"Sango-chan, you're distracting me!" Kagome rebutted to avoid responding to the teasing directly. "Go away! I have to finish packing!" She commanded with a pout. The Tao continued laughing on her way out of the door until she closed it.
Sango was not surprised to see Ren still there, scratching his head because he could not figure out how things went from laughter to wails then back to laughter. She patted him on the shoulder and simply said, "Your turn~!" as she walked back towards her own room. "You should tell her before she goes," came her voice from down the hall.
Ren scowled, arms still crossed as he blushed at the thought of… of… it!
'Easy for you to say,' He thought, feeling annoyed at being pushed to do something that he was not sure if he was ready to do—or if she was ready to hear it. Then came the voice of Bankotsu from earlier…
[ "...Nothing will change if you don't make your intentions clear."]
Ren shook his head negatively, as if trying to shake that annoying voice of out of his head. 'What the hell does he know anyway? He's just another guy pining for her.' His jaw clenched at the thought that followed that one, 'But what if he's right? What if I have to tell her… to have a chance with her?'
Commence Ren smacking himself in the forehead repeatedly for even thinking of confessing his feelings to her! 'Don't! Be! An! IDIOT!' He inwardly berated himself with each slap. 'You saw how she turned that buffoon down!'
["I kind of… already like someone."]
'Screw it,' Ren suddenly concluded with great trepidation. 'Just do it and get it over with,' He told himself as he finally knocked on the door that he had been camped outside of for at least an hour. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled the metal handle and let himself inside.
"This one...?" Kagome asked herself aloud, uncertainty dripping in her voice as she held up a pastel purple undergarment, but the sound of her door opening and closing again immediately took her attention away from her task.
"Oh~?" Kagome sung as she swung around to face her visitor. "Hi—! Oh." Her face became deadpanned as she told him, "Boys are supposed to wait until the girl gives permission to enter."
Ren rolled his eyes and reasoned, "Well, you didn't get annoyed Sango for not waiting."
"Well, I wouldn't mind if Sango-chan saw me naked," Kagome told him before she paused and blinked, "Wait—how long have you been here?" She asked with a suspicious expression. "You a voyeur?"
Ren's jaw dropped for a moment before he recovered with a quick lie, "I-I was just giving you two some privacy since she looked like she needed to unload something heavy, okay?!"
Kagome's expression stayed suspicious as she hummed an unconvinced, "Mmhm…"
"Just drop it!" the Tao told her as he plopped his butt down onto her bed without permission, smirking at the incredulous look that she gave him. It screamed 'You've got some nerve, BUDDY!'
Before she could open her mouth to chastise him for his actions, he casually pointed out, "You slept with me in my bed last night."
Kagome didn't know why but she found herself blushing at the statement, much to Ren's inner amusement at being able to fluster her for once. The priestess' eye twitched, feeling annoyed that he actually had a point. "Fair…" She spat out in a huff, her lips forming into a childish pout. She turned back to her walk-in closet to resume her packing as she asked, her tone still huffy, "What do you want, anyway?"
"Oh, quit pouting, you baby," Ren said in an exasperated tone that he had to force because he did not want Kagome to know how cute he found almost everything that she did.
She then turned to glare at him, her hands on her hips and a pout clearly on her lips, "I'm not pouting. See?" The girl raised a finger to her lips, drawing Ren's attention to them. The Tao twitched and blushed at the memory of those lips on his face just earlier today. Because of the situation, he did not get the chance to truly appreciate what had happened, or how nice it was for something so soft and warm to be so devilishly close to his own lips.
That's right… Kagome's adorable pink lips were a couple of millimeters away from his own…
Meanwhile, Kagome gave him a weirded-out look as the Tao stared off into space right in the middle of their banter. "Hell-lowwww?" She asked while snapping her fingers, which seemed to bring him back to reality.
"Yeah, what is it?" Ren asked, his tone impatient and a bit snippy.
Kagome's eye twitched, "Excuse me? You came to my room?"
Ren shrugged and replied with a nonchalant, "It won't be your room for much longer." 'Dammit.' He winced and cursed himself at that response. He only wanted to talk to her, how did it turn into—
Kagome suddenly dropped the clothing in hands and stomped over to Ren, who swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. "Taoooooo Ren!" She seethed his name before stopping her march right in front of him. She glared down at him and asked, "Are you going to miss me or not?"
Ren's eyes widened at the question, he blushed and retorted, "Of course not! Why would I?!"
Without the scowl leaving her face, and without her stance becoming relaxed at all, Kagome replied in a firm, serious, but matter-of-factly tone, "Because I'll miss you."
Despite the implied sweetness behind those words, Kagome's facial expression and tone were completely off, and Ren found himself sweatdropping and feeling less than moved, "You say with that scary look on your face."
"You always have a scary look on your face."
Ren finally met Kagome's eyes, which caused her glowering to twitch for a moment, but it instantly fell into a small fit of laughter erupting from her throat. "S-Sorry," She apologized as she laughed and slapped his shoulder, as if abusing it would release her from her self-inflicted laughter torture. "Y-Your face when I said that...! Priceless!" Her small hand came down for another slap to Ren's shoulder, but he caught it mid-air, causing her to blink.
For a moment, she just stared down at his face. He was not even smirking in amusement like he usually did when he wanted to hide that he was having a good time. "Oh. You really did want to talk about something."
The Tao released the grip on her arm and Kagome made herself cozy next to her friend. It was not often that they had heart-to-heart talks like this. If he had something serious to talk about, she was more than ready to get serious too. "Soooo…" She started, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. "What's up?" She asked in her most cheerful voice. It felt like Ren needed some extra cheer today so she would give him just what he needed!
"Before you go… I have something that I need you to clear up for me," Ren began. 'This is it. I'm going to do it.' He told himself as he suddenly flopped backwards so that he was lying flat on Kagome's bed and staring up at the ceiling. Somehow, it felt easier if he did not have to see her face during this conversation. "First—God dammit, Kagome!" He shouted when the priestess suddenly propped herself down directly next to him. She lied down on her stomach with her elbows supporting her face as she smiled down at him from her slightly elevated position.
Kagome smiled a bit too innocently for Ren's taste, "What? We should face each other when we're talking, so it really helps me to know how you're feeling~!"
'There goes that plan,' He thought with his inner voice deadpanned and defeated. On the outside, he huffed and relented, "Fine. Have it your way." He had to suppress all his normal urges and bodily reactions. He would not blush if he remained calm. He would not blush if he remained calm. He would not blush if he remained calm. "Okay…" Ren began again, but he found that he was staring right at Kagome's face, particularly her lips. It was like they were calling to him, those pink, pouty— 'Okay, new plan.' He told himself. 'Whatever you do. Don't talk about kissing. Don't talk about kissing. Absolutely do not talk about kissing!' he willed himself before he continued speaking, "Kissing."
The Tao froze and his entire face lit up like a Christmas tree at his slip-up.
Kagome too froze and she blushed intensely at the random word. She shot up from her position and sat up with her back completely straight and her hands in her lap. "W-What about kissing?!" She asked, her voice revealing that she was clearly as flustered and caught off guard as Ren was.
'Dammit it all,' He swore inwardly again. "Okay, new plan."
Kagome blinked before telling him, "Uh… you just said that out loud."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ren erupted into a flustered frenzy as he sat up and placed his hands on Kagome's shoulders, shaking her back and forth, "I NEED A RE-DO, OKAY?!"
"F-Fine! Just stop shaking me!" Kagome conceded with swirly eyes.
Suddenly realizing that he completely lost his composure, and he released his hold on the girl. Once again, he inwardly cursed, but this time because he ended up with reddened cheeks after all. "L-Look… I…" Ren absolutely hated how his voice was so shaky and unsure. He was sure about a lot of things in life, but right now…
"Are you mad at me?" Kagome suddenly asked in a glum voice.
"What?"
"Are you mad at me… for… kissing you like that?" She clarified. 'He brought up kissing… and he seems really upset. I must have really messed up this time!' She thought in an inner panic.
"What?!" Ren asked in a shocked tone as he suddenly retorted, "NO!" He dialed his volume back down when her eyes widened. "I mean—yeah, I mean no. No, I'm not—mad at you for that," He finally told her after a trail of stammers and stumbles to respond without making even more of a fool of himself than he already was. "I'm actually…" he blushed and shielded his vulnerabilities from the world by covering the top half of his face with one hand as he finished his statement, "grateful." 'Even though you missed the target.'
That much was certain and true for the Tao. Gratitude (and relief) was a new emotion that he had only recently discovered. Because he was raised to never back-down and always put his ego first, he never truly considered what the sacrifices of others meant… not until he had begun making sacrifices of his own, at least.
Kagome blushed and smiled when she heard those words, "Oh, really? I'm glad then… I just… didn't want to make you do something humiliating just for my sake."
For a few moments, there was a silence between the two of them.
It was peaceful, yet still full of anticipation with Kagome waiting for Ren to continue and Ren trying to figure out how to proceed. But then, a thought occurred to her, one that she could not keep to herself. "Um…" Kagome began, feeling some heat rush to her cheeks. She was not sure how to word it without making him think that she was weird. "Between you and me…" That phrase caused Ren to unconsciously hone on her voice. It was softer than usual, more feminine than usual. She reached for Ren's hand and removed it from his face, telling him, "I meant what I said. It was okay because it was you." The way she said you was so light and airy. It was like a dream.
Those words alone were enough to make Ren feel as light as a feather, the butterflies in his stomach were flapping so hard that it felt like he'd take off at any moment. He almost reeled himself back at the sight of Kagome's face. Her expression was so sweet, and so sincere. 'Then… if I asked her if I could kiss her now...' He thought in a dreamy haze that ended just as quickly as it began when he noticed Kagome's mouth opening to speak.
"Jeez. It's not like you to talk about such embarrassing things, Ren," Kagome said with a laugh to hide her own uneasy feelings. The entire scenario was strange. This was Ren's first time in her room. And the first thing that he brought up was kissing of all things! She would never be able to live it down if he found out, but for a moment, Kagome thought that Ren would ask to kiss her right then and there!
'Ugh! What am I thinking?!' She mentally shook her head in panic. 'There's no way Ren would want something like that! The world doesn't revolve around you, Kagome!' She mentally chastised herself and her intuition, which had been screaming that there was a certain type of tension between them! "What else is on your mind?" She continued the conversation. Part of her wanted it to end quickly because she felt somewhat thrown out of loop. For some reason, she couldn't just laugh and make fun of him like she usually did. Something was off.
Meanwhile, Ren was almost in a state of shock from Kagome's words. She told him that it was only okay because he was the one who was dared to do so! 'I'm reading too much into it, she only didn't want to see me get punished,' he logically concluded in an attempt to calm his racing heart. He stole a glance at the person of his desires. She was nervously combing through a lock of her hair with her fingers, a new nervous habit he noted.
"Are you really going to consider… you know, going out with that buffoon?"
"Eh? His name is Ban-kun."
"It really isn't."
"Oh, shut up," Kagome said with a laugh before lightly slapping Ren's arm. The unimpressed look on his face told her that he was ready for her answer, an honest one. "Well, Ban-kun is a really good friend of mine… so yes. I'm going to think about it at the very least," She confessed while looking at Ren with a small smile. "I think that it takes a lot of courage to confess to the person who you like…" Her eyes softened at the sentiment. "And he's done it at least twice now. I want to reward his courage by actually thinking thoroughly about it before I give him my final answer." She then smiled at Ren. He was actually surprised that it was not the teasing, catty one that she had been giving him more and more lately. "Do you have any more questions?"
"...just one."
"Okay, let's have it~!"
Maybe… maybe that part of Kagome that wanted the conversation end quickly was wrong. It felt strangely exhilarating and liberating to talk about the heavy topics that have been weighing on her subconscious.
"Thisishypothetical!" Ren gave a quick disclaimer that made Kagome smile and sweatdrop but nod in understanding nonetheless. "If I… I told you…" Ren began.
No matter how slowly he took it, his heart would not calm down.
His blood would not stop rushing.
His stomach would not tangle from the mess that it was in it.
"…that I…" Kagome's eyes widened at string of words and her lips parted a bit.
"liked you…" She had to stop herself from throwing a hand to her chest instinctively. Suddenly, her heart was beginning to pound inside of there. "…how would you feel?" he finished his question that seemed to drag by in slow motion, but despite the impending feeling of dread that was creeping upon him the moment that he saw her eyes go wide, he finished his question.
He did it.
He asked her. Kind of.
His question was like dipping a toe into the pool before jumping in.
Kagome blinked several times in rapid succession, completely taken aback once again. "Uh…" She began to answer slowly, but it was only because she wanted to be sure that her answer was honest. It was something that Kagome felt like she owed him, for becoming such a good friend to her, despite their random spats. 'How would I feel if Ren said that he liked me?' "You mean… like-like?" She asked, just to be certain. An old friend of hers had thrown her for a loop earlier that day by confessing to something that she did not think anyone felt about her!
Ren's blush crept up to his ears from the clarification, "Yeah, yeah! But it's hypothetical, okay?" He insisted on saying that, but he wondered if she would buy it.
Kagome stifled a laugh and replied, "Okay… hypothetically…" She began twiddling her thumbs together. "If you told me that you like-liked me… the way that Ban-kun does…"
This was it.
The moment that Ren had been waiting for.
The moment that he had been dreading.
The moment that he had been putting off some quite sometime now.
It was time to be utterly crushed… by a rejection so gentle that it was a bruise to his ego (because that was just the way she was).
Ren dared to steal a glance at Kagome again, but from the corner of his eye. She was no longer in a position where he could see her face. She was sitting at a slight angle where all he could see was the cascade of black hair over her slender shoulders. 'She… can't even stand to look at me…'
Kagome did not even answer his question, and he felt his heart dropping.
'This was a dumb idea,' He thought bitterly. 'How did I get roped into doing this?'
"I'm sure that I'd be very happy," She finished, her voice becoming much softer than usual.
"Happy?" Ren asked dumbly.
This was unexpected.
Kagome suddenly turned to look at Ren, and she was instantly relieved that he was actually facing her this time. She grabbed his hands and held them tightly, as if the firmer the grip, the more convincing she would be, "Ren, believe it or not, I think you're very special!"
'Special…'
"We didn't used to get along, but we're such good friends now! And I'm grateful to you too! Grateful that you've opened yourself up to me, even if it's only a little!"
'Grateful…'
"I probably didn't appreciate everything that you've done for me during the moments when they happened, but I know that you've been supporting me all this time while I was here! And it means the world to me! You've inspired me to become stronger!"
Ren could only digest her words one at a time. His brain was still overloaded at her first statement.
"And besides that," Kagome added in, caught in the heat of the moment of pouring out her heart. "I know that it's strange, but… I get the feeling that I'd be happy if you told me something like that, and that's because… don't laugh or freak out, okay?" She asked him with pleading eyes. He could only nod wordlessly at her request. "Ever since Ban-kun asked me to be his girlfriend… I thought about the concept a lot… having a boyfriend, that is. And…" She shifted nervously but she refused to break the eye-contact. Not now, "I know that we're just friends, and I'm not saying that I want that to change, but… you're the closest thing that I have to a boyfriend."
Ren was on the verge of ascending to cloud nine.
"I don't know if you've noticed… but… you kind of are. The closest thing, I mean," Kagome reiterated with a blush.
'Of course, I'd notice, baka,' He wanted to say while ending the conversation with his signature huff and averted eyes. Ren wished he could will himself to do anything but stare dumbly, but he was too entranced by every word that left her mouth.
"So, the reason why it would make me happy is because… well," Kagome smiled an embarrassed smile. "With you, it wouldn't be as scary. I know that I have no experience in that department, but I feel like it would be easiest with you. We could just stay the way that we are right now."
Ren finally recovered from his love-stricken stupor as he sighed and facepalmed at that conclusion. "Boyfriends and girlfriends do more than what we do right now."
Kagome laughed and nodded, "I guess you're right. There's more to it than just getting taiyaki together. That was a dumb answer, huh?" She settled for looking at her lap for a moment. She did not want Ren to know it, but she had gone and ended up embarrassing herself for saying something so naive.
"It wasn't dumb," Ren quickly told her, reassuring yet firm. "It was just…"
The mental image of Bankotsu pulling Kagome close to him flashed across Ren's mind.
"Very Kagome-like," Ren told her, offering her an awkward half-smile.
Kagome's eyes widened and blushed, 'Okay. Why is Ren acting so darn cute right now? There must be a bug going around.' She unconsciously raised a hand and placed it on Ren's cheek. 'His face is so red and hot. He really is sick.'
This was it.
All of her positive responses had to be a sign, right?
And her hand was a cool relief on his flushed face.
Ren gulped, but decided that he would give it a shot.
"Kagome…" He whispered as leaned closer to the girl.
She looked at him, her lips parted ever so slightly, ever so temptingly.
"Yes?" Her voice came out in a whisper.
All Ren could hope was that Kagome could not hear the beating on his heart as he closed the small distance between them. He closed his eyes after he gauged the distance and angle between himself and his destination. Kagome gulped but closed her eyes in response, almost instinctively.
'If you feel nothing for me… just push me away now…'
Ren was expecting for Kagome to scream and shove him away from her. He expected to incur her wrath… but that didn't happen.
No.
His lips landed against hers without a hitch.
'So soft...'
Both of their eyes shot open in shock.
Ren felt Kagome about to pull away, but he wasn't finished. He was not good with words, so he had to show her how he felt. He passionately placed his hands on her shoulders to bring her in for another kiss; this one firmer, more confident, as if to communicate a message: a message of love. Finally, after a few moments, they pulled apart and Kagome smiled up at him, "Ren…"
"Yeah?" He answered back slowly as if in a daze.
"Ren…?" She asked for him again.
"Yes?" He asked, his eyes narrowing a bit.
"Hey, Ren?" Came her voice again, this time more concerned.
"W-What is it?" His eye twitched.
"Ren?"
"WHAT IS IT?!" Ren suddenly shouted, the volume of his own voice startling himself out of his daydream. He saw Kagome's confused expression. She blinked. Then he blinked. 'God dammit...'
"You… kind of spaced out for a moment," Kagome sweatdropped. "My answer really was that dumb," she sighed aloud.
"It's only natural. It came from you."
"Wait—what?! You jerk! You're supposed to make me feel better!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango and Jun were smiling as they walked together to deliver Kagome's surprise 'Going Away' cake to her room. It was in the style of a traditional Japanese Christmas cake: a creamy shortcake adorned by many, many fresh strawberries, which they knew that Kagome adored. "Think Renny is still talking to her?" Jun asked while placing a hand on her cheek. "I hope he's confessed to her by now."
Sango stifled a laugh, as she did not want to drop or tilt the cake that she was carrying on a silver circular tray. "Heheh, knowing him, I doubt it. He probably won't tell her for a long time."
Jun nodded in agreement while adding in the fondest of voices, "My Renny is the sweetest boy. He's so shy and innoc—" Suddenly, the two of them stopped in tracks at the sound of both Kagome and Ren panting rather heavily. They exchanged concerned looks and Jun went to reach for the door handle but her hand froze when they heard:
"R-Ren, please!" Kagome begged in a voice that was both a desperate plea and a whimper. "It's too big to fit in there! We can't do it this way!"
Sango's jaw dropped as Jun blinked rapidly, her cheeks stained a pretty pink and wondering if she heard all of that correctly.
"Just relax," Ren replied insisted in a tone that was oh-so-confident. "Leave the hard part to me. If it doesn't go in at first, I'll make it fit. I'll force it in if I have to," He explained.
Sango went as pale as a ghost, 'Kagome-chan… is ascending the stairs of adulthood… before me…'
"B-But, I'm scared—!" Kagome refuted, her voice trembling and unsure. "What if… you break it?" She asked in a maidenly, embarrassed voice.
Jun's blushed deepened. Sango watched as her cousin's hands became fists and she whispered, "You can do it, Renny!" Her voice came out as a hot, excited whispered.
"W-What?" Sango hissed out in a whisper. "You can't condone that! They're just kids!"
"Oh, come now, Sango darling, don't be so prude," Jun quickly waved off her concern.
"Look, Kagome," Ren began a bit awkwardly as if he were blushing. "If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. Just close your eyes and let me do what you asked me to."
"Okay…" Kagome whispered back, her voice a nervous whine.
"Here I go…" came Ren's voice. It was soon followed by a rather loud bang and Kagome's high-pitched scream.
"No way!" Sango unconsciously dropped the cake, causing it to splatter all over the floor as she burst into the room to come to Kagome's rescue. "Kagome-chan, are you al—eh?" Sango blinked.
Jun then popped her head into the room curiously, "Renny, I hope you're using protec—oh." Her tone instantly deflated as the sight of Ren kneeling over Kagome's overstuffed, metal suitcase. His hands were pressed flat against the surface, as if he just used all of his body weight to shut the carrier. She understood now. Kagome was trying to pack too much stuff into one suitcase and enlisted Ren to help her, only to be afraid that brute force would break it. 'How boring…' Jun could not help but think.
Kagome blinked at the sudden intrusion, "Hey, you two… what's up?"
Ren spotted the splattered cake on the ground. It was one that he specially picked out for the occasion, for Kagome to be specific. His golden eyes seemed to burn like bubbling magma as he shot a glare up at Sango, one that made her twitch and reach for Jun's arm for safety. "Sango," Ren called to the culprit.
"Y-Yeeeeees?" Sango sang back in a nervous tone, trembling as Ren slowly rose from the floor in a deceptively calm manner.
"Is that the cake that I ordered?" He asked in a tone that made it obvious that he knew exactly what it was.
"Eh—" Sango took a step back. "Noooooo?" She sang again while cranking her head to look at Jun. Her green-haired cousin instantly turned her head away to avoid the eye-contact.
Jun would have nothing to do with explaining to Ren why the special cake was destroyed.
Rest in peace, Tao Sango.
Well, rest in peace to her cheeks, which ended up abused and red from the fuming Ren's pinching. But despite the splattered cake, Kagome's last hour with the Tao's was successful. She was bringing as many possessions that she thought would fit into her room back at the Asakura residence. It was time for the priestess to return home.
The Taos did give her a lift in Jun's limo, as the older girl insisted. After more group hugs between the girls and Kagome soaking Ren's shirt with tears and snot during their final farewell, Kagome found herself standing alone at the entrance of the Asakura residence. She turned and looked towards the street.
The limousine was still parked outside the premises, as if they were waiting to make sure that she would get inside safely. She could not see them through the tinted windows, but she was sure that they were smiling. She could feel it.
So Kagome waved and smiled too.
She wanted to end it with a smile.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Waaaaaaaaah!" the high-pitched scream of a small child resounded through the streets of downtown Tokyo. Despite the hordes of people that walked those crowded streets, no one could hear those screams, for it came from the ever-crying mouth of Shippo. Despite being in his humanoid form, he ran on all fours to escape his pursuer. One benefit of being dead and having no physical body meant that he had infinite stamina, as his spectral body did not tire. However, being a spirit always had its downsides: such as being unable to be heard by ordinary humans, and one's mind could become restless when the body did not require rest. "Hao-sama! Hao-sama!" The fox spirit cried out as he searched for his new master. "You've gotta help me!"
The panicked spirit was about to cry out for help once again but a dark flash suddenly lurched out from seemingly nowhere and gave him a lashing across his back. For the first time in a long time, Shippo felt it.
Pain.
His forest green eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the shocking sensation.
Pain.
It was a foreign, forgotten sensation.
Still. He had no physical body, so the pain would not stop his escape—it could not stop it. The fox pressed on, determined to seek protection. He made a right turn down a dark alleyway and continued running towards where he began feeling for the familiar aura of his master. "H-Huh?!" Shippo skidded to a halt as he was met with a dead-end. He was unbound by the laws of physics, so it was not that he was trapped, but rather, he was simply confused. 'Where is he?!' The fox wondered.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by the dark chuckle of the being that had been pursuing him for quite some time. "I finally caught up with you, little fox. Rather impressive, evading me for so long," despite the compliment that the dark voice gave, Shippo could sense nothing more than malicious intent and even sadistic amusement behind that praise.
Shippo turned to face the being and glared at the form that stood before him.
"What do you want from me, you monster?!" Shippo asked with an obstinate glare. He refused to let the being win by showing his fear. He could tell that this being was one that fed on such dark emotions.
Whatever the being was, it was too cowardly (or cunning) to reveal its true form. It hid behind the most bizarre disguise possible.
"Frankly," the voice began, it was a deep, almost gritty voice, like that of a grown man. "I was hoping that you would run to your priestess for protection, but this is even better. You led me to someone even more elusive, and just as powerful."
"Just as powerful?" Shippo's glare faltered at that statement. Before he could ask the being what it meant, the fox spirit squeaked at the sight of an inferno suddenly shooting from the sky and landing directly in front of him. The flames roared threateningly before swirling and dying down to reveal Hao, standing between Shippo and the being.
"So you're the one who's been stalking my servant here," Hao stated in a calm voice. Shippo gasped at Hao's words. He had known that there was something tailing him all along?!
"You bastard!" Shippo suddenly shouted at Hao, shaking his small fist. "Did you use me as bait to lure this thing out of hiding?!" He asked angrily. The small fox soon found himself regretting his outburst as Hao silently reached down and grabbed him the bushy tail. 'Oh crap! I'm done for it!' Shippo screamed inwardly. 'I shouldn't have opened my big stupid mouth!' His inner panicking rendered the spirit unable to focus on the conversation that continued without him.
"This fox child here is a servant of mine," Hao informed the being. "I will not allow you to harm him in any way." The Asakura smiled and tilted his head a bit, "Is that clear?" His voice went from calm to deadly serious.
The being chuckled, its voice baritone and gravelly, the exact opposite of the young voice of Asakura Hao.
"But of course, I have true intention to harm your fox child," It replied. It was not daunted by Hao's sudden shift in tone in the slightest. "I only wanted to get to the priestess that you adore so much."
"Hmph," Hao chuckled as he closed his eyes and smiled. "Is that so…?"
He could have just ended this being's existence right here and now, but the Asakura's curiosity was piqued. He needed answers. "And what would you have done to the priestess?" He asked in an overly curious tone.
"Kuku, wouldn't you like to know~?" The being taunted.
Shippo stiffened. He could sense the rage and bloodlust building up inside of his master.
"That priestesss… Higurashi Kagome," The being clarified, as if anyone there would think of another. "She is a false god that is not be trusted…
…and I will have her head."
The being's last words were enough for Hao. The time for questions was over. The Asakura swiftly and silently set the being that stood before ablaze. His brown eyes wide and his face lit up with ecstasy at the sight of the once pristine, white baboon pelt turning to ash in a matter of seconds. "That girl is mine," he whispered his claim to the world.
...there was silence.
Hao's expression remained neutral.
He was less than impressed with himself for the first time in many lives.
He could still sense the dark entity.
The alleyway suddenly resounded with a peal of diabolical laughter that caused Shippo to cover his ears with his hands and Hao to scowl, annoyed. "Asakura Hao, that priestess' life belongs to me. I want to see how far you'll go to protect her. But not even you can stop what's to come. Higurashi Kagome is a false god, and I will knock her from her pedestal."
"You can try to slay that girl," Hao said with an amused smile. "But she won't lose. I'll enjoy watching her squash you like the pest you are."
"That unbridled faith in a faux-deity will be your downfall. The name of your slayer is… Naraku." The disembodied voice revealed.
Hao's eyes narrowed as he finally released his hold on Shippo's tail after he sensed the presence vanish into nowhere just as quickly as it appeared.
"Naraku, huh?" Hao repeated as he could not help but smile.
This would be amusing.
Authoress' Notes: And there you have it, folks! I send my deepest apologies to you all! I swear that this chapter was supposed to be more actiony but I kind of got carried away with the Tao's. But, on the bright side, I got to introduce the person who I wanted to! I hope you all look forward to more shenanigans! Chapter 23 should be coming up soon!
Also, I've decided that I'm going to open a side story for this story very soon~ The sidestory will be a compilation of scenarios that don't quite fit into the main story. I'll take requests as long as they're canonical for this story here. For example, if you want something romance based, I will write:
Yoh x Kagome, Ren x Kagome, Hao x Kagome, Bankotsu x Kagome or any combo if you want some rivalry stuff
But of course, that also means, I'll write HoroHoro x Sango, Ryu x Sango, Bankotsu x Pirika, and Yoh x Anna because those are the official pairings so far~!
But you can feel freer in your requests for friendship or any non-romance based requests. Anyways, use your imaginations! Do note that I will be writing these when I have downtime at work and I will never prioritize these over the main story. These will only be a priority when this story is finished~ Also please note that I may not post the requests in the order in which they were received. I will write whatever my brain imagines first~! That being said, for the first set of requests, feel free to leave them in your reviews for this chapter, once I post the story with the first request, you can continue submitting them in the reviews there! Finally, here is the format for submitting scenario request, you can be as detailed as you want, just make what you want clear:
Characters: [EXAMPLE] Yoh and Kagome
Theme: [EXAMPLE] ROMANCE, FRIENDSHIP, COMFORT, HUMOR, ACTION, ETC
Scenario: [EXAMPLE] Yoh and Kagome are caught in a rainstorm together?