InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Bet ❯ Ghosts From The Past ( Chapter 7 )

[Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the rest of the chars. And I definitely don't own any of the songs in here either… As I've said earlier, they're the property of respective creator…]

The Bet

*****

VII: Ghosts From The Past

Halloween… All Hallow's Eve, the night when the thin line between the dead and the living was finally broken, leaving the door to the other world open. And kids all over the house, going for their ridiculous 'trick or treat'games in even more ridiculous costumes designed to look like monsters. Like half of them needs it…

He stared at the city so far down in the darkness, feeling the surge inside as the plane began its descending motion, putting him back down on the ground again. He liked flying, liked the way his whole body surged of the freedom it invoked and the feeling of immense speed.

Turning his head, the golden eyes looked over to his father and stepmother, the latter grabbing her chair with a face that was set in a permanent grimace. She hated flying, but still chose to follow his father all over the world, defying her fears anew every time. He had to admire her for that, that she never gave in to them, even if he didn't like her otherwise. She had been married to his father for almost twenty-five years, ever since the old bastard had divorced his mother. He had been three years old at that time, but could still remember the arguments and the voices as his father more or less threw his mother out. The wedding was held as soon as the divorce was clear, on the first day of the new year, and she was heavy with child then.

Her hiss and the way she closed her eyes had him smirk momentarily before turning to the window again, watching the dark city again. Lights shone in the houses as they passed over them, heading further away for the airport. It was good to be home again.

*****

Inu was watching Kagome as she smiled at the kids in the doorway, one dressed as a werewolf, the other two as a vampire and a… devil? Demon? She handed out the candy, waving after them as they left. Still keeping the smile on her face, she turned to him, catching him a little off-guard.

"They're so cute!" Her eyes were sparkling again, the dead look in them momentarily gone. He studied her for another moment before answering.

"The last one looked like he was supposed to be a five hundred year old dog or something…" Snorting, he turned to the door again, not sure if he was going to drop the news to her now or not.

"Awww… He was just so cute!" She grinned again, and he returned it with a grin of his own. She hadn't been this happy in a long time, not since she had found out that his useless brother had been called to Europe to deal with some things there along with his father. And they were returning tonight.

"Shall we get going?" Deciding not to spoil her night, he kept quiet as she hurriedly pulled her coat on. She was dressed as a devil, her short skirt and her very low-cut top giving him a nice view of her. She had considered going as a Miko at first, but changed her mind as she learned that Kikyo was going to do just that. Inu had refused to dress up at all, just scowled at the two of them as they had tried to get him into a large dog costume - a couple of sizes larger than the one the kid had been wearing. Then he would have looked like a five hundred year old dog!

"Bye! I'll be home late, don't stay up and wait for me, okay?" She shouted into the house, in an instant bringing her grandfather out in the hallway.

"Watch your back this night, Kagome! The spirits are alive and working this night! Why, I even heard of…" The rest of the sentence was cut short as the door slammed shut behind them as they laughing hurried out to Inu's car. Kagome giggled as she imagined the way her grandfather would huff and stare at the door, mouth still working.

Inuyasha drove off, watching her from the corner of his eye as she fixed her hair a little, the image of her so sweet and innocent that he had trouble breathing all of a sudden. He had watched over her like a hawk ever since that fateful night almost two months ago, not leaving her for a moment longer than necessary. She didn't seem to mind at least at that though, but his relationship with Kikyo had suffered a lot from it. She had been kind and understanding at first, but as he kept on shutting her out and spending all his time with Kagome, she had become suspicious and angry for every little thing he did. But she doesn't understand… I promised I would protect her, always…

They were headed for his house where he was going to have something that was going to be labeled 'the party of the year'. He was going to pick up Sango and Miroku from her apartment first, and Kikyo from her home on the other side of town. He had invited Hojo too, and told him to take his friends with him, but wasn't sure if they would show up or not.

"This is a magical night, don't you think?" She was slightly blushing, watching him openly and he swallowed.

"You're beginning to sound like your grandfather…" He teased her, not disappointed when she giggled anew. It was a magical night, just the two of them in his car and the feeling of anticipation in the air.

"Hey! Don't you know that I 'come from a long line of powerful Mikos'?" She imitated her grandfather's gruff voice, bringing a laugh from him.

"So you do…" Kami, she's beautiful tonight!

"Yep…" Still smiling, she looked out of the window at the people walking from house to house, the children bouncing up and down. The silence engulfed them for a moment again before he turned on the radio, the music playing was a love song. She sung along, not quite catching the high notes of Celine Dion's 'Think twice' and he winced as she tried. Not shy, anyway…

"Are you trying to make me deaf, woman?" He growled at her, bringing another laugh and a new try to catch the same height as the famous singer.

"One could always hope, right?" She smiled at him, and he shook his head in return.

"Right…"

"Aww, come on, Inu! You know I can't sing, but let me at least try, right?" He barked a laugh at that, meeting her eyes that held that puppy-look he found so difficult to resist.

"Whatever, but if you're planning on howling all the way, at least let me find my plugs so I won't have to listen…" He tried the stern look, but was laughed down as she began anew, another of those love songs she didn't really like, but knew anyway. He thought it was Nickleback this time, 'How you remind me', or whatever that one was called…

He kept his eyes on the road, trying to avoid all the people out. It was like driving in hell with all the kids running around, not watching as they plowed out on the street and he was grateful as they swung down another, empty, one. They weren't far from Sango's appartment now, and he increased the speed a little. He hoped that the rest of his family wouldn't be back before they all were out of the house again - he didn't want to risk meeting Sesshoumaru with Kagome in tow. The bastard had left the same night as he had stayed at her place, called away by a phone call from their father. He had wanted him to do the negotiating in Europe, flying him in as soon as possible. He had called Inuyasha's cellphone that night, the icy voice explaining the situation without ever touching the subject of Kagome as his younger brother had cursed him to the seven hells and back. And now he was back, almost two months after he had hurt her more than anyone could have done… He didn't really understand why she had been that hurt - the two of them had never gotten along, but he guessed that her already tried nerves had snapped once and for all that night. And it is all my fault…

She was silent again as he drove up on the sidewalk outside Sango's apartment, honking once and waiting. She and Miroku was probably making out or something as it seemed to take them forever to get out to the car.

"They're like rabbits!" She laughed, meeting his dark eyes with her own blue onee, an unspoken question in them, one he wasn't sure she knew of either.

"You're beautiful tonight, you know that?" She blushed, and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, bringing a startled 'eep' from her. He missed her cheek as she turned her head, but landed quite nicely on her lips instead. Neither of them moved for a moment before she shyly pulled away, her face on fire.

"I'm sorry… I…" He looked out the window instead, straight ahead, and finally saw Sango and Miroku coming out from the door. He watched them as Sango clinged heavily to Miroku who stopped to kiss her again.

"I'm… It was my fault, you were just going to kiss my cheek…" A sheepish grin on her lips had him smiling slightly, touching her cheek momentarily.

"But you're still beautiful, you know that?" She blushed even more, nodding at the other couple.

"She's going to get him to move in with her before the end of the year, mark my words…" He followed her gaze to the two of them, Sango seeming slightly out of breath. He honked again, bringing startled jumps from them before they grinned and hurried into the car.

"Hey, Kag! You're pretty tonight!" Miroku earned a stern glance from his girlfriend and a smack on the top of his head before he leaned back to her, "But not quite as charming as this little fairy I found in Sango's bedroom…" Grinning, he watched her blush, muttering something at him. Inuyasha's and Kagome's eyes met in an amused understanding and he started the car again to drive off to pick up Kikyo.

*****

Hojo was watching his friend Kouga down another drink, wiping his lips on his sleeve. The man was a year older than Hojo's twenty-three, and he had known him since kindergarten. They had grown up together, but he had moved away some years ago, leaving Hojo behind. He was back for the Holiday though, and would stay a little longer if he liked it here.

"I'm going to ask Kagome to go steady with me tonight… The last time I was going to do that, she came back from Inuyasha's, just… Crying and screaming… I don't know what happened to her, but he showed up later anyway, and from what I heard, he stayed all night…" He couldn't quite keep the jealousy out of his voice, earning a slightly drunk stare from his friend in the process. Hojo himself didn't drink, he had tried it once and woken up with such a hangover that he had promised himself to never try it again.

"I'm sure she's a… nice girl…" That was all he got out of Kouga as the other man grumbled around for another drink. They were leaving for Inu's in a matter of minutes, Hojo borrowing his father's car.

"She is, she's the nicest girl I've ever met… And she's so beautiful too…" His eyes took on a dreamy shine, and Kouga just shrugged. He was sober enough to know what he was doing, just slightly sluddering when he spoke. And Hojo was down for it, apparently. He had never seen his friend like this, so it meant that this 'Kagome' was something very special indeed.

They went out to the car, seating themselves and driving off. Kouga wondered how Hojo would react if this 'Inu' was going to keep an eye on his friend all evening. He would probably try to keep her away, protecting her. He had known another 'Inu' before he moved, an arrogant bastard that always landed him in fights in school. Not someone he wanted to think about tonight. Tonight was party, whether Hojo was up to it or not.

*****

Kikyo was nervously waiting out on the steps in front of her house, straining her ears for every sound as she tried to bring Inuyasha's car over by her sheer will. The Miko-outfit she had rented fit her perfectly, and she had bound her hair back in the traditional style as well. She just hoped that he would notice, and tear his eyes off Kagome for once. She had begun to suspect that he was falling in love with her all over again, and that she wasn't totally oblivious of it, or doing anything to stop him, for that matter. No, don't think like that! You know he loves you, and not her! She's just his best friend… And has a place in his heart that I'm never going to get…

She bit her lip as she heard the familiar sounds of his car, and jumped down the steps to watch as it swung up on the driveway, her friends waving at her.

"Hi, Kik! You look gorgeous in that one!" Miroku pulled his head back inside as Sango smacked it again, and turned around to kiss his girlfriend - once more exclaiming that no one could match the fairy she had chosen to dress up as tonight.

Inu opened the door to let her in, kissing her lightly on the lips and smiling at her. She tried not to notice the way Kagome suddenly flinched and stared straight ahead out through the window. No, I'm just imagining things…

Watching Miroku and Sango make room for her in the back, she cast another glance at Kagome, who was watching her through the driving mirror.

"Hi, Kag, how are you feeling tonight?" Forcing herself to smile, she watched how the younger woman flinched at the sound of her voice. For some reason, it hurt her as much as the suspicion of what was happening between her boyfriend and her longtime friend.

"I'm just fine… I've been busy fixing candy all day for the kids…" She smiled, casting Inu another glance, and Kikyo froze. No, Kami, please, no…

"How nice…" She forced herself to keep the smile for another moment before Inu drove off. Then she tried to root out the unbidden thoughts of the two of them out of her head, failing miserably.

*****

The Onishi mansion was large, the building dark and intimidating. It was the perfect place for a Halloween party when you wanted to get in the mood, and the younglings around here knew that. Inuyasha had invited almost everyone he knew, both from college and from the contacts he had through his father, and it was going to be one hell of a party even if just half of them showed up.

They drove into the garage, finding a lot of others waiting for Inu to unlock the door. He knew that his parents wouldn't be in their best mood as they came home to find it like this, but he didn't care. He only wanted to make Kagome forget about what had happened the last time she had been there. She hadn't been near his home since Sesshoumaru had thrown her out, and he didn't want to press her. He knew that she had a lot of issues to deal with, dating back to the death of her father, and then her first years in school where she had been bullied around by the other kids a lot - just because she had no father.

Now, though, she seemed to have forgotten all of these things, her eyes sparkling and a smile on her lips as she was waiting for him to unlock the door. As he did, the rest behind came barging in, wanting to get out off the cold. Everyone had their own drinks with them as he hadn't gone through the trouble of finding fifty different peoples favourite liqour, but the rest was on him.

More people came walking up the driveway, and he left the door open for them to get in on their own, hurrying off after Kikyo and Kagome. They were walking silently down the hallway, neither of them saying anything and he stared at them. Something was wrong with them… Suddenly, Kikyo turned to Kagome, stopping her with a hand on the younger woman's arm.

"I… I don't know how I'm going to say this, but…" Her voice trailed off, and Kagome smiled uncertainly.

"I think I know, and no, it's not that way between us… He's like a brother to me, and nothing more. He was the love of my life once, but not anymore… And he knows it as well…" Do I? Perhaps I do…

'But what was that in the car then? You liked to kiss her again… It felt good, didn't it?'

"I…" Kikyo seemed to be at a loss of words again, and was startled as Kagome leaned forward to hug her.

"Go and find him, and tell him how much you love him, okay?" She smiled at the older woman, and he could see Kikyo's mind working. She nodded at last, and he hurried around the corner, not wanting to be caught there. He went back to the kitchen to wait for Kikyo, knowing that she would find him in that special way she had. She always seemed to know what he was up to, where he was. Not that he minded that at all.

He suddenly heard voices again, and recognized Hojo's optimistic one along with another, slightly gruffer one, that set him on edge for some reason… It almost sounded like…

"Kouga!" As he heard the name being uttered, he almost jumped out through the door, startling the people there. Kagome was standing next to Hojo and another man he slightly recognized, and a growl escaped him as he met the blue eyes of the other one.

"Inuyasha, this is Kouga…" Hojo was completely oblivious of the way the two of them stared at each other, but Kagome and Kikyo were not. They both took a step closer to him, ready to grab him if he tried anything. Both of them had seen him like this before, furious and ready to charge.

"I know very well who it is… So, you're back, you wimpy wolf?" The name had the desired effect as Kouga took a step closer, staring hard at him.

"And if I had known that it was your house, I would have stayed away, dog turd!" That did it, he decided, and he took another step closer just to be grabbed by his arms by Kikyo and Kagome, the latter grabbing his collar as well, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Inu, no! Calm down, for fuck's sake!" He tried to shake them off, but they held onto him, and Kouga smirked. Another growl was released from his throat as his vision slowly turned to red, but was violently snapped back again at the sound of Kagome's voice. She was yelling at him, namecalling, and he stared at her as she took another step away from him.

"Inu, don't do this! Please! Let him be!" Kikyo's voice by his ear had the desired effect as he visibly relaxed. Drawing a deep breath, he slipped his hand around his girlfriend's waist, hugging her close to him. The look he received in return was so full of love and joy that he felt momentarily guilty.

"For this time, wolf… But the moment I meet you outside my house, you're a dead man…" The look in his eyes as he said that did nothing to intimidate the other man, who just snorted and edged closer to Kagome. She stared at him wide-eyed. So this was the Kouga that Inu hated so much? He looked nothing like she had imagined, and certainly not the way Inu had described him. Blue eyes, like her own, dark hair that was kept back in a ponytail and slightly longer than what was strictly necessary to keep it there, his height added to by the boots he was wearing… He noticed her stare, and smiled down at her. Uncertainly, she smiled back.

"And who might you be, beautiful?" He grabbed her hand, and she blinked. What was he up to?

"This is Kagome I told you about…" Hojo's slightly nervous voice seemed to wake the other man out of his trance, and he blinked too. He turned around to Hojo, staring at him.

"This is the Kagome you were talking about? Wow! She's gorgeous!" He turned to her again, and she blushed. He was slightly drunk, but not enough to not know what he was doing. Inu growled again, grabbing her arm and shoving her behind him. He didn't give in though, but smiled in a way he probably thought was charming. It wasn't.

"A date? Wednesday?" She stared at him, dumbfounded.

"No, I'm busy on Wednesday." His smile dropped for a split second before coming back full force.

"Something I can help you with?" She blinked. Now what?

"No, it's nothing you can help me with."

"Oh. What about Thursday then?" He wouldn't give up, would he?

"Um… No. Look, I'm very busy right now, all right?" She turned on her heel, dragging Inu and Kikyo behind her. Inu was scowling and casting angry glances at a frowning Kouga. Hojo seemed like he most of all wanted to sink through the floor and disappear.

"I'm going to bash him til he can't stand!"

"No, you're not!" She grabbed him by the collar again, forcing him to look at her. "You're not! Got that?" Grumbling something, he held her gaze for a moment longer before prying himself loose.

"Yeah yeah… Whatever. I just don't want him to touch you, okay?"

"He won't, I promise." She mumbled something else, and left the other two to disappear into the kitchen again. The anticipation in the air was almost too much for her to bear again, and for some reason, she just wanted to go back home again. She definitely didn't want to meet Kouga again - the way he looked at her sent shivers down her spine. And not the lustful kinds…

A couple of other girls from school came into the kitchen, looking for something to pour up the drinks in, and she handed glasses out to them. Trying to calm her frayed nerves again, she took a deep breath, steadying herself on the counter. The same counter where she had been making out with Sesshoumaru two months ago. She blushed, feeling the now-familiar ache coming over her again as she relived the moment. How… innocent it had all been back then. And three days later, he had crushed her to pieces in his office. Well, she was through with men for a while now, she didn't want to be that vulnerable again. But the way Kouga had looked at her was going to be trouble for sure…

*****

The sound of laughter and music high enough to wake the dead met the three of them as they came back home. He stared at the house for a moment before almost sighing. So this was what the idiot had been up to when he was gone? Why am I not surprised?

"What's this?" His father turned to him, just like he was going to have any answer to that question, and he met the older man's eyes straight on.

"I don't know. Apparently the idiot have been doing this all the time I've been gone." He shrugged as he noticed the older man's stare again, before he turned around on the step, taking his wife with him.

"I'm not going to clean up that mess. We'll be off to a hotel. Make sure that everything is all right when we return tomorrow." With that, he left, dragging his bitch with him, leaving Sesshoumaru standing on the steps, dumbfounded. The old man's finally losing it… Like I'm going to do anything about something that's the idiot's fault…

He shrugged again, opening the door and going in. The first thing that met him inside was a couple making out in the closet, and he had to keep back a sigh as he watched the girl yelp at the sudden sight of him.

"Don't let me bother you…" His voice was heavy with sarcasm, and the couple blushed. He hung his coat up and continued out through the hallway. He would go to his office first and foremost, lock himself in and hope that he wouldn't be disturbed. It was probably too much to hope for what with the whole house full of idiotic young men and women, but apparently he felt a little on the optimistic side today.

Climbing the stairs, he hurried forward, trying not to notice the way the house was already falling apart. Or only supported by drunk couples making out everywhere. He had always thought that parties were for singles, to have a good time or at least find someone to spend the night with, but the most of the people he met seemed to be going steady. Or perhaps they've just found someone for the night already…

He shrugged and stepped over another pair of discarded clothes, grimacing at it. Inuyasha would get hell for it tomorrow, that was for sure. And he would stand beside his father and not say a word until he was finished and had thrown the little bastard out off his office. Then, he would give him his own opinion on the matter. And probably having to listen about Kagome too, but it was a necessary evil he had to go through to get what he wanted. Which was her… He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her, the way her eyes had seemed to freeze as he scorned her, and he had since long acknowledged his defeat to the feelings of loss and longing he actually held inside him. They had surprised him like nothing else, he had since long thought himself beyond that stage, not bothered by the need of a someone more than perhaps a body to share his bed a night now and then. But, apparently, there had been someone else who had something to say in that matter, and here he was now, trying to come up with a plan to get her back and get Inu to hell.

Stomping off in the dark corridor, he turned around a corner and was slightly taken aback as someone bumped into him.

"Oof!" The voice was angry, and he couldn't help but stare at the girl dressed up as the devil she was.

*****

Kagome stood in the kitchen handing out glasses and such for quite a while, not quite knowing what else to do before the flow of people would end as everyone had what they needed. She almost felt like some sort of hostess, the image of her commanding a hord of servants enough to draw smile to her lips. She had lost her high heels under the counter again, the little horns on her head were slightly askew and her hair a mess. Rubbing her forehead, she took a glass of water with her as she went out in the hallway, drinking it and leaving it on the windowsill before staring at the darkness on the stairs up to the second floor. Her thoughts went unbidden to the night in his office, and she had to stiffle a sigh as she thought about it. It wasn't like she was afraid of going up there, to open the door and watch the room where it had happened, but the queasy feeling in her stomach was enough to convince her not to. I need another drink first, then I'm going to do it…

'Yeah, get drunk! It'll help…'

You again? I thought you left with him?

'Sorry to disappoint you, but here I am…'

Well, welcome back, bitch…

'Hey! Who are you calling 'bitch'?'

You! You're always calling me that, so now we're going to get even… Bitch…

'I'm not! Bitch!'

See? Anyway, we're heading for the drinks now, any objection shall be stated now, or you'll forever hold your peace, right?

'Right… Just go easy on them, will ya?'

Yeah yeah… I promise…

With a grin, she steered her steps out to the living room, grabbing the first glass she saw and emptying it in one swallow. Miroku and Sango were making out on the couch, and she smiled at them. She had no idea where Inu and Kikyo was, but she didn't have a hard time to guess. She couldn't believe that Kikyo actually had felt threatened by her! By me! It was ages since we were together, and he really is like a brother to me…

'Nice to have that sorted out, right? Now, how about the other one?'

Who?

'Sesshoumaru, of course…?'

Don't you ever say his fucking name again! That fucking idiot is going down, as soon as I can get to him…

'My my… Temper, temper…'

FUCK OFF! I thought you were going to help me, not taunt me!

'Too bad… '

If you're going to act like that, you might as well fuck off again…

The scowl on her face was enough to keep the young man who had been going to ask her for a dance and a kiss to turn tail and run again, something she was still oblivious of as she reached for another drink, downing it as fast as the first one, coughing at the taste. She hadn't been drunk in two months, and the liqour was already setting in. I'm ready now… Okay, office, here we come!

She hurried up the stairs, not wanting her newly won courage to fail her as she drew closer. She stopped outside the door, alone in the hallway, staring at the heavy oak before taking a deep breath and grabbed the handle. Come on, Kag, it's just a fucking room! Not your prison cell either, so what the hell are you waiting for?

She opened the door slowly, staring into the darkness inside for a moment before finding the switch to the lamps and turning it on. The office bathed in light in an instant, removing the shadows. She stared into it, reliving the night there, and shivered. Leaning her head on the door post, she drew a deep breath and forced herself to look into it. Why it scared her so much, she couldn't understand, but the point was - it did. It was the most frightening room in the whole house, something she had always thought. There was nothing really scary about it; normal furnitures, lamps that lit up the whole room, a bookshelf that covered a whole section of the wall… And the desk, where he had been seated, staring at her with those golden eyes. She shivered again, trying to erase the image of him from her memory, how he had looked at her as he had removed the glasses… Gasping, she turned around, not caring about closing the door or putting out the lamps as she turned and ran. She couldn't take this anymore, it was like if he was back there and was watching her… Rounding the corner, she bumped into someone, almost loosing her balance.

"Oof!" Her angry voice didn't do any good as the anger melted away as she met his eyes again, regarding her silently.

*****

I've just changed some smaller things here and there and I've begun chapter 9 for real now. Yeah, I know, it's been on its way for half a year now and I've said it before as well, but this time, it's definitely for real! ;)

I also want to thank you all for your patience with me and this fic. I can't express in words how much it mean to me when you review and email me - it makes me feel like I'm standing on top of the world and that I can do anything! So, again, my eternal gratitude to YOU for taking the time to read and review. I love you all guys!