InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Best Man Steals the Bride ❯ Promises Shattered ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Dr. Pepper, Keebler's Crackers, Harry Potter or anything else I may be mistaken to own in this story. I also make no profit off of this fic either. Nothing, nada, zilch. Okey-dokey? Good, now you may move onto the fic.

Get Ready for the turn...

The Best Man Steals the Bride
By: Msmelanie (Now being known as Fondest Desire)
Chapter Thirteen: Promises Shattered

Day: Sunday
Place: Kadowaki/Kagome's Room
Time: 4:00 A.M.

"Kagome?"

Kagome mumbled.

"Kagome?"

Kagome felt something small rubbing the bridge of her nose. "...huh?" She opened her eyes and saw the silhouette of someone trudging to her door.

It turned on the light.

Kagome gave herself a couple of seconds to adjust to the light to see who had gotten into her room to bug her so early.

The girls never did anything like that.

Then, she recognized the smiling face. "H-hojo?!"

Hojo put his fingers up to his lips. "Ssh. I need to talk to you."

Kagome glared at him. "What are you doing here? Why should I talk to you?" she growled. "Give me one good reason not to yell."

Hojo stood by Kagome. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'd never hurt you, you know that."

Kagome wanted to yell at him, but saw an unfamiliar troubling look in his eyes. Damn. If they hadn't had such a long relationship, she could have ignored it. "Quit it." She closed her eyes and looked away. "I don't care how you got in here, just leave." When she opened her eyes again, Hojo was still looking at her. With the same sad expression. 'Damn our history.'

She could tell, even if she didn't want to. That something was wrong. He wasn't giving her his 'love-sick' expression. There was deep sadness.

"I had to come at this time." Hojo said softly. "I had no choice. I need to talk to you about something very important, and I don't want Inuyasha to be here. I don't want him to know."

Kagome gave a slight gulp, but continued to try and look tough. She wouldn't back down. There was no way she would get back with Hojo. She had promised herself she would only be with someone she wants to be with. It didn't matter that seeing Hojo with that damn 'expression' on his face was putting some extra hurt on her heart. She would not go back to him.

Hojo looked seriously at her. "Kagome?"

Kagome stayed strong. Hojo was just a friend now. He had treated her badly and she wouldn't tolerate it. He would not get the chance to cheat on her anymore.

"I'm..."

'No more.' Kagome thought. 'I want someone who will treat me right. I should just scream. I should yell, I should do something!'

"I'm dying."

Kagome blinked. "...what?"

Hojo's bottom lip trembled. "I'm dying my love."

Hojo and Kagome continued to look at each other.

"Don't lie." Kagome whispered hoarsely. 'He's lying. He's lying. He has got to be lying.' She stared at him, trying to see it. Trying to find some truth that he was lying. 'I've never had to look so deep before...he's always been such a horrible liar...he's always.' "...you're not lying."

Hojo sat on the bed shakily next to Kagome. "I'm not. I'd never lie about this."

Kagome continued to look at him as her heart beat. The man, whom she had turned down time and again for a date, was dying. The man who became her first date, her first kiss, was dying. The man who had been her one and only...

Was dying.

Hojo held her hand gently. "Kagome...I really miss you. I miss your smiles, I miss your love, and I miss your friendship." He looked longingly at her. "I didn't just wake up one day and decide that I wanted to marry you for no reason." He looked down at her hand. "I don't want you to know what I have. Just know that there probably won't be many signs. It'll just happen." He sighed. "The doctors don't know how long I have. It could be anywhere from a year to ten years." He gulped. "When I knew that, I took a good long look at my life." He lifted his eyes to look at Kagome. "And I realized that there was only one person on the face of this earth I wanted to be with. Kagome, I want to be by your side, completely as your husband, before I die."

Kagome stared at Hojo. "What are you asking me?"

Hojo started to stare at her hand. "All I want is two things. Just the last two wishes of a dying man." He looked back up at Kagome. "Don't tell anyone. I don't want them to know, or they will start treating me differently and I don't want that. I don't want anyone to baby me."

Kagome slowly shook her head yes.

"Especially Inuyasha, Kagome." Hojo said firmly. "He's my best friend. He'd probably stop his schooling to go around the world looking for a cure or something." He said with an unconvincing laugh.

Kagome made no objection. "I won't. I won't tell anyone."

Hojo smiled as he softly caressed Kagome's face. "You know what the other is...don't you?"

Kagome continued to look at him. "Maybe you should wait. The doctors said they didn't know if it was a year or ten years. Right? Maybe you could-"

"Kagome." Hojo interrupted firmly. "Do you really want to wait for months to go by? What if I do have only a year?" He caressed her cheek again. "Kagome, I'm scared. I'm scared it will only be a short time. And even if it's not, even if it is 10 years...I want to share as much of my life with you as I can. I want to love you for as long as I'm alive." He gripped her hand a little tighter. "I need to. With you by my side, maybe I can live long enough to find a cure. But if I don't have you..." he gulped. "I don't think I will be around for long. There would be no reason to fight." He caressed her cheek again. "I need you and no one else. I know that I love you and that you used to love me. Maybe you do...still?"

Kagome looked at him. 'Love him?' She had learned that truth a long time ago. She had even explained it to Inuyasha. She did not love Hojo. She never did and she never would.

But Hojo was dying, and being with her was his dying wish. "Just tell me...tell me what it is?"

Hojo shook his head. "The doctors don't know. None of them knew." He looked at Kagome. "You know my family is 'well-to-do' and they had hired the best doctors money could buy. But none of them knew anything." He said, a bit of bite in his voice. "All they want to do is run test after test, but it won't do any good. Everyone knows it." He looked squarely into Kagome's eyes. "I don't want you to worry about it. If you love me still, I know I can try and beat this." He pushed her locks of hair behind her ear. "All I need to know, is if you still love me."

Kagome gulped. She had promised herself not to do it. Not to let Hojo back in. But if she didn't, how long would he last...'I'll never love him. I never did and I never will.' But she couldn't be honest. And Hojo wasn't half as good at lying as she was. "I do." She said hoarsely. "...I love you..."

Hojo smiled. "Then be with me. I swear it Kagome, for the rest of my life, no matter how long or how short I will never treat you bad again. Please?" he begged as he gently stroked her hand. "Be my wife? Until the day I die?"

Kagome's hand trembled. 'I can't do this! I don't love him! I don't want to be in a loveless marriage!'

Then, a flash of Inuyasha came into her mind.

'What was that?' she thought. 'Why did I think of Inuyasha just now?' "Inuyasha."

Hojo whimpered as he yanked his hand away from her. "Kagome?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you telling the truth? Or do you love...have you fallen...do you want Inuyasha?"

"Huh? No!" Kagome quickly recovered. "We're friends. We're great friends. I was just thinking how wrong it is to keep this from him."

"You have to. You promised." Hojo reminded her.

Kagome shook her head.

Hojo gently took Kagome's hand again. "Now I need to know...no more suspense. Will you grant me my lifelong wish? Will you be my wife?"

Kagome looked at her hand. "...this is hard..." she said hoarsely. "You hurt me so much before."

"I won't do it ever again." Hojo replied. "Never. I will be a good husband to you as long as I live. Just please...please say you'll be Mrs. Fukazawa? Please?!"

Kagome's lips trembled as she tried to hold back her tears.

Her promise was broken. Shattered, in a million pieces. She was going to encage herself like a trapped bird that could not get out of its cage. She saw it all...

But for the happiness of another bird that wanted to be free and fly until it's life was over...

"I'll marry you."

Place: Chez Le Mange
Time: 7:10 P.M.

Kagome looked briefly around the room. All her friends and Hojo's friends had been gathered in one place. She looked briefly at Inuyasha who had eyed her the whole time.

Inuyasha growled under his breath. Kagome had cancelled their reading time that night so they could all go out. With everyone. To a damn expensive restaurant that was supposedly Hojo's treat. 'What's going on?'

Miroku, Sango, Kouga, Eri, Yuka, and Tana were all sitted across from where Kagome and Hojo were standing. Inuyasha was sitting next to where Hojo stood.

Hojo hit the wine glass gently in front of him, catching everyone's attention. When he had their attention, he held Kagome near to him. "Hello. I'm sure all of you would like to know why you are here in this lovely place tonight with us."

"Not really." Kouga growled as he stared at Hojo's hand on Kagome's shoulder.

That was not a good sign.

Inuyasha also caught the gesture and it made something inside of him stir. 'They can't be back together. I know Kitten too well, she didn't want to even be friends with Hoj' anymore.'

Hojo looked over at Kagome lovingly. "Do you want to do the honor's or should I?"

Kagome couldn't even look at the people in the room. She was staring at the ground in front of her. "You."

Miroku smiled. "What is it my friend? Please, don't let us wonder anymore."

Sango tried to look at Kagome, but she had never lifted her eyes. "What is going on?" she frowned.

Hojo smiled brightly. "We are getting married!"

No one spoke a word for a minute.

"M-married?!" Inuyasha broke the silence. 'What is going on?'

Hojo smiled at his fiancée. "We couldn't take not being with each other anymore, so we decided to take the big plunge." He looked over at their guests. "We're getting married this winter." He looked over at Inuyasha and gestured for him to stand up.

Inuyasha did and stood between Hojo and Kagome with a...strange...expression.

Hojo smiled at Inuyasha. Inuyasha managed a...a half-smile back. Hojo looked out into the crowd. "And Inuyasha is going to be my best man." Hojo looked over at Kagome.

Kagome, sensing that Hojo was looking at her, looked at him. As he stared at her, she remembered her cue. She looked over at Sango. "Sango? Would you like to be my maid of honor?"

Sango was speechless, but seeing that everyone was looking at her had to say something. "I'd be honored."

Everyone clapped happily, but some people clapped awkwardly.

Hojo smiled at Inuyasha. "Thanks for everything." He winked. "I know it didn't seem like it did much, but you helped us find our connection to each other again." He playfully hit Inuyasha in the shoulder. "Thanks man. You are a true friend." He picked up the bottle of wine that was on the table. "Please, do the honor for us?"

Inuyasha looked at the wine he was now holding. He felt so strange. Like he really shouldn't be there.

Who was he kidding? He should be there! He was Hojo's best man and he had promised he'd be by his side when he married...

Miroku seemed confused as to what to do. Something was clearly wrong. He was happy that Hojo was back with the woman he wanted to be with, but he also knew about Inuyasha.

He knew Inuyasha's feelings, even if Inuyasha himself did not.

He tried to examine the situation carefully. What he was seeing in front of him just did not look right.

After all, the 'bride-to-be' refused to look at the future groom or the best man. The best man was just staring at the bottle as if it were going to give him some otherworldly knowledge. Only the groom looked as if he had won the lottery.

Yes, this was definitely not a pretty picture.