Chapter Thirteen
Her eyes hurt from crying so much. Things weren't going to settle over well, Kagome knew that. How was she going to tell Inuyasha? How was she going to explain...explain...
Inuyasha wasn't going to take that well. At all.
Oh God, how was she going to tell Kouga?
She didn't want to tell him. The thought terrified her.
It wasn't the fear that she didn't know how to be a mother. There was a silent war brewing and Inuyasha and Kouga were going to be the ones to bring it full around.
Kagome sat at the foot of the Memorial she'd had built, the crystal lake a silent reminder of the reason for her tears. She buried her face in her knees, fighting the hysteria setting in.
And what was how Inuyasha found her. Crying.
Inuyasha just stood there, not knowing what to do. He didn't know what was wrong. She was just crying. He had to wonder if it was something he'd done the night before, but for the life of him, he didn't know what. She wouldn't even tell him why she was crying.
Dammit.
"Kagome..." Inuyasha said again, almost whining. If she'd just tell him what was wrong, he'd fix it. If he couldn't, well, he'd try. He was sure from the way she was sniffling she didn't have many tears left to cry. Could a humans body run out of tears?
God, he hoped so.
"Kagome, just tell me what's wrong. Please." Inuyasha murmured, his hands hanging limply at his sides. Something heavy brushed his senses and he lifted his head, his ears flattening against his head before a whirlwind whipped up just to the left.
Inuyasha bared his fangs in annoyance.
When Kagome lifted her tear stricken face to his, Kouga cursed and crouched down. He looked up at Inuyasha. "What did you do?" He asked accusingly, because Inuyasha was the only one present—and Inuyasha was Inuyasha. Knowing the two prior Mates history, Kouga came to conclusion easy enough.
Inuyasha even looked guilty.
His heart clenched as he cupped the back of Kagome's neck and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He could smell the anger and hysteria in her scent. He looked between the two; had they had a fight? He'd witnessed Kagome's breakdown before because of Inuyasha.
"I didn't do anything. She was like this when I found her." Inuyasha said defensively. His upper lip was curled. He didn't like how Kouga just automatically assumed he was the reason.
Kouga could feel her tense beneath his hand and shifted his hand to her back. "Did he do something, Kagome?"
"I didn't do anything, you little shit." Inuyasha said, somehow managing to maintain his level tone of voice.
Kouga ignored the insult. Oh, he wanted to say more. He almost did. But right now, Kagome was crying. She wasn't just crying, she'd been crying for hours from the glimpse of her face. "I swear to God, Kagome, if Inuyasha did something, tell me..." He would string him up from his intestines.
Kagome sat there, her hysteria rising with each passing moment. The two demons were the reason for her hysteria and they didn't even know it. Kouga was the one who was trying to assure her—but he was the main reason for her tears.
Where was the irony in that?
Where was the fairness?
Her shoulders shook. He wasn't the only one at fault. She was right along side him, but it all came down to the fact that when the truth came out, Inuyasha was going to know about her and Kouga. She hadn't meant for it to happen. Not when she was with Inuyasha. She hadn't meant for her feelings for the Wolf Demon to overwhelm her, but they were taking her over with each passing day.
Kouga would have been beside himself with glee.
She wasn't ready for this.
She wasn't even paying him any heed. She wouldn't even look at him. Kouga hated it. Whatever the mutt had done, Kouga was going to knock him down a notch or two. That hadn't changed in the years since they'd known each other.
"Mind if I have a word with you?"
Kouga looked up at Inuyasha's request. "What?"
Inuyasha nodded his head in the opposite direction. "You heard me."
His jaw clenched and Kouga shook his head. "I'm not leaving her alone like this." Like hell.
"In case you hadn't noticed..." Inuyasha said and his tone softened. "...she's not in the best of moods. She wants to be left alone. Take it from someone who knows her." He didn't have to add the last part. Maybe it was a chide on his part, something to remind the wolf that he knew Kagome better than Kouga. He had for years...
"Kagome?" He wasn't going to take the mutts word on it. In that moment, screw the mutt. Kouga moved around Kagome until he was in front of her and crouched back down. He tilted her face up, not giving her a choice. Screw what the mutt read in the motion. "You alright?"
Of all the people to have witnessed her second breakdown, Kagome knew she had to have had the worst luck possible. They were the last two people who should be seeing this. But Kouga, he wasn't giving her a choice. Kagome sniffled before she could embarrass herself further with a snotty nose.
No, she wasn't alright. But Inuyasha was right. She wanted to be left alone. Last night hadn't been enough. This morning hadn't been enough. Kouga was the last person she wanted to face.
She looked away. "Yes."
Just one word. It was vague, nothing more than a simple gesture that was completely ignorant. That wasn't like Kagome. Kouga released her reluctantly, frowning. He stood and hated the distance he was creating. She was distant. Her one word had said that. What the hell had happened in a days time that had caused the distant look in her eyes?
Inuyasha could go screw himself if he thought he was going to leave Kagome alone for long when she was like this.
He nodded curtly and turned his back. Kagome didn't turn her head, didn't even acknowledge his departure. She just took a deep breath and buried her head against her knees again. This time, at least, he didn't smell tears.
He reluctantly followed Inuyasha into the forest, giving Kagome the distance she was silently asking for, according to Inuyasha. His jaw clenched.
"She was fine yesterday. What did you do?" Kouga asked again when Inuyasha stopped.
Inuyasha shrugged at the repeated accusation. As much as he wanted to bark out that he hadn't done anything, he had something he needed to say and starting off with a yelling match wasn't how he wanted to go. "I didn't do anything. He repeated. "What did you do?"
Inuyasha's tone wasn't accusing. He was asking a simple question. But the way he spoke so calmly...the dog demon saw something he didn't like between him and Kagome. Kouga shrugged. "Nothing. That I know of."
Inuyasha stared at Kouga in silence. Nothing? Inuyasha read into the "nothing" and Kouga knew it.
He didn't know know but...
"That's what I thought." Inuyasha said and his fist clenched. "Look...I don't know what's going on between you and Kagome..." Inuyasha started evenly.
Kouga tensed but remained silent.
"But I'm not stupid." He chose his next words carefully. "You're doing something right this time." Inuyasha shook his head. "But I'm not going to lose her to you." He was making it clear that he knew something, even if he didn't know what that something was. He was being abrupt and honest. "Whatever it is you're doing..."
He was doing something right. Yea, Kouga knew, he was doing something right this time around. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stood a chance against Inuyasha. "You know you don't deserve her, right?"
"And you do?" Inuyasha challenged right back.
"More than you." Kouga didn't hesitate.
Inuyasha's upper lip curled again in a silent warning but he didn't retaliate. They hadn't come here for this. He was just warning Kouga. "She won't even let me touch her." Seeing Kouga's sour expression, Inuyasha continued. "Not like that." He muttered. "But you, she didn't even cringe."
Kouga remained silent, listening to what Inuyasha had to say. He was making way with Kagome and knowing that she was accepting his touch over Inuyasha's, well, he wasn't going to gloat.
"I'm going to fight for her, Kouga." Inuyasha said finally.
Kouga folded his arms. Inuyasha knew Kagome was like an open season. He'd lost something precious and he was on the losing end. "I already am." Kouga said.
"And I hate your fucking guts for it."
Kouga gave a wry grin. "You and everyone else."
They were in agreement. Kouga didn't like the fact that what he wanted was clear for Inuyasha to see, but the shit was done. It couldn't be taken back. He nodded. And now he wanted to get back to Kagome. Inuyasha was ready to let Kagome seethe in her tears and anger, but Kouga wasn't. She could take her anger out on him for all he cared, as long as she spoke to him.
Inuyasha surprised him, though. He watched as Inuyasha bounded up into the trees in a blur of red and headed in the direction of Sango's hut. He turned his head toward the lake, but Kagome was gone. No wonder the mutt was in such a hurry to get to Sango's.
Kouga sighed and pressed a thumb against the center of his forehead to dim the migraine starting. He followed the mutt but at a much more leisurely place. He hadn't expected that from Inuyasha. Inuyasha was accepting of the fact that he was pursuing Kagome.
It was going to make things more difficult but...unlike the last time, he had a standing chance. Kagome looked at him differently this time around.
I love you, Kouga.
His lips thinned at the memory. Yea, he remembered that part. He hadn't at first. He hadn't had that from Kagome before. He had it now and that made a big difference.
He could see the glow of Sango's hut in the distance and when he finally reached the front porch Sango was there. "Hey." He said as he crossed his arms, leaning against one of the thin wooden pillars.
"Hi." He followed Sango's train of eyesight and saw Kagome off in the distance. Inuyasha stood over her, speaking softly. Kouga could make out their conversation, but barely. It was nothing that concerned him, so he tuned them out.
He inhaled and Sango's hormonal scent reached him. He was used to it by now. He could make out her heartbeat and the heartbeat of her child. Another softer scent reached him. He turned his head Kagome's way again. They weren't close, but Kouga could still smell her.
The salt of her tears and the scent that was composed of her. And something that wasn't completely her.
His eyebrows snapped down.
The scent of innocence reached him—it wasn't Sango's scent. It was the subtle change in Kagome's scent.
She was with child.
The vicinity of his heart clenched and his shoulders tensed. Inuyasha...His tail wagged, agitated. "Guess congratulations are in order." Kouga said gruffly.
Sango looked up from watching the pair across the field, as if waiting for the moment when she would have to rush to Kagome's aid. "On what?" She questioned.
"Looks like you're gonna be an Aunt."
Sango dropped her arms and turned her head. "What?"
"Kagome's with child." Kouga stated and the words were sour in his mouth.
Sango shook her head. "No, she's not."
What was she trying to do? Lie for his benefit? Kouga almost snorted. As if she would get away with it. He didn't like being lied to. "She's with child, slayer. I smell it on her." He paused. "In her."
His chest ached. He wanted to hit something.
Sango opened her mouth and then closed it, frowning. "No...she's..." She trailed off again, shaking her head. She didn't want to finish her sentence.
Kouga arched an eyebrow, daring her to prove him wrong.
"Kouga...Kagome..." Sango shook her head again, looking uncomfortable, as if she were saying something she wasn't supposed to. "...she can't have children. Or at least...Inuyasha can't, from what she told me. But please, don't tell Kagome I told you..." Sango looked guilty.
His blue eyes narrowed. He turned his head and his eyes moved over Kagome's body in the distance, settling over her smooth, flat stomach. He inhaled again.
By God—Kagome was with child. She hadn't told him. She'd let him walk away earlier. And she hadn't told him.
And the child wasn't Inuyasha's. It was HIS.
He didn't say anything, just stepped off the small porch and stalked across the field.
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