InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dashed Hopes ❯ Stay With Me ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sad news: This story ends next chapter. Good news: I'm writing a sequal! This is, by far, my favorite chapter I have ever written.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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Dashed Hopes
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--- Last Chapter ---

“So Naraku is gone?” Her mother asked, her doe brown eyes wide.

“That demon is gone?” Jii-chan echoed.

“Uh huh. He’s gone.” Kagome nodded and lovingly eyed her brother and son who were cuddled with her mother.

“Then we should be grateful.”

“Yes, Mama, we are.”

“So,” Mrs. Higurashi clapped her hands. “Where will you four be sleeping tonight?”

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter 21: Stay With Me

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Inuyasha rolled over in the sleeping bag on the floor.

It was really uncomfortable.

Somehow, it had been decided that the only spot left for the young man to sleep was on the floor of Kagome’s old room, which had barely changed since she was seventeen.

Of course, one could never guess how Mrs. Higurashi’s mind worked. It was weird enough that she didn’t even bat an eyelash at all the trouble Kagome had gone through, but to suggest a man sleep on her daughter’s floor...

Odd.

But you didn’t hear Inu complaining.

Except about the cold draft or the creaky floorboards or the hardness on his back or the dust bunnies under the bed...

And he just couldn’t sleep. Who could?

Gentle snoring reached his ears.

Apparently Kagome could sleep. Quite well, in fact, if the snoring was anything to go by. But how was Inuyasha supposed to sleep?

He turned again and grumbled under his breath. Something about ‘conspiratory mothers’ and ‘insensitive blue-eyed woman.’

“I am not insensitive!” Kagome snapped, easily hearing the mumbles in the pure silence of night, suddenly awake.

“Well if you weren’t, you’d allow the guest to have the bed!”

“What?” the woman furiously whispered down toward the ebony locked man. “Technically I’m a guest here too!”

Inuyasha decided to change the subject.

“Nice room. Were you one of those all flower and sunshine teenagers?”

“For your information, I like yellow and blue!” she huffed back.

“Feh.” Inuyasha muttered. Kagome could swear it sounded like ‘gay’ though. What an insensitive asshole!

“Will you just go to sleep?”

“I cant!” Inu whined.

“Fine!”

Inuyasha heard rustling of the cover and winced, waiting for her to smack him so he’d shut up and go asleep. Of course, it never came. The rustling stopped but he didn’t see her feet climb out of the bed.

Looking up tentatively he expected to see her glaring at her. But instead...

...She looked exasperated as she...

...Had the covers pulled back with just enough room...

...For someone to crawl in.

“Well?” she asked, irritated.

Leaping up at the chance for a soft bed and warm covers, Inu climbed in and curled up on the tiny bed.

“Night.” He yawned, suddenly finding it easy to sleep.

“Gods, Inuyasha! You’re like a child!” Kagome scolded.

Although, she mentally corrected, he didn’t look like a child with all those muscles...

“Night Inuyasha!” she chirped happily.

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"AHHHH!!!"

“OH, MY GOD!”

Kagome’s tired head, along with those of Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha, whipped up towards the screams.

Scrambling out of her kitchen chair, still in flannel pj bottoms and a tank top, she raced to one side of the room.

Throwing open the kitchen door, her scream, the third in less than a minute, reached the other three adults’ ears.

“WHAT IN ALL THE HELLS! OH, MY GODS!”

Wanting to make sure their friend was all right they followed out. Sango wearing around the same thing as Kag, Miroku in a robe with nothing but boxers on underneath and Inu with only a pair of sweatpants on.

Standing with rather large sweat-drops in place they watched as four girls hugged each other death.

“KAGOME!”

“YUKA!”

“KAG-CHAN!”

“ERI!”

“KAG!”

“AYUMI!”

“OH MY GOD!” the four screamed in unison.

“Oh, my God,” Inuyasha muttered faintly while cocking his head at the scene.

“Oh, my God,” Sango agreed while watching the four ex-schoolgirls start to babble and giggle.

“Dear Buddha.” Miroku whispered with a faint smile on his face as he got a nice view of Kagome from behind.

-Rub- -Rub- -Rub-

SMACK

“Sango, darling, I swear! It has a mind of its own!” Miroku declared while nursing a rather red cheek after attempting to grope the woman closest to him.

“Sure it does, Miroku dear.” Sango growled.

The smack had caused the four girls to turn to their audience.

“Kagome! Whoa!” Eri squealed while eyeing Inu’s bare chest.

“More than whoa, more like wow!” Ayumi agreed.

“Uh huh,” Yuka added, drooling.

Kagome smacked her head with an open palm. “You guys! Don’t stare! Its rude!”

“Actually, I don’t really mind,” Inu shrugged.

Eri giggled before looking her two friends in the eyes. The three reached out and grabbed Kagome by the arms and dragged her several meters backwards and began a giggling conversation.

Which had Kagome struggling to get out of, a red blush staining her cheeks. “Eri! NO!”

“But Kagome!” the girls whined in unison.

“NO!”

Stomping back toward the kitchen she gave the startled Inuyasha the evil eye and grabbed Sango by the elbow.

“I need the company of a SANE female!”

The three females left behind giggled. “You know we’re right, Kagome!” Yuka called after her, still laughing.

“NO!” came the faint cry of a pissed off girl.

Rolling her eyes, Eri walked into the kitchen, eyeing the two males critically.

“Is Kagome...” she mused out loud.

“Nah...” The two other murmured as they joined their friend.

“But, he is-!” She pointed stubbornly to the confused Inuyasha.

“Yes he is, but Kagome never went for guys like that!” Ayumi scolded.

“Never?” Inuyasha asked hesitantly. ‘Never?’ he repeated tentatively in his mind.

“Nope, she liked that one sweet guy a while back. And dated that other sweet one before that.” Yuka ticked off on her fingers.

“Oh! Then there was that really sweet and sensitive guy back in Jr. High.” Ayumi added thoughtfully.

“OHH! I liked him,” Eri giggled.

Miroku, glad to be surrounded by young females kept his mouth shut. Now was the time to hear what girls talked about so he could become closer to his Sango.

But Inuyasha wasn’t so subdued.

“What guy in Jr. High?”

Eri turned to him, while ignoring the outburst, and tilted her head and worried her lip in thought. “Ayumi is right, Kag wouldn’t go for a guy like you.”

“And why not?” Inuyasha felt violated. And hurt.

The three ex-schoolgirls shrugged and went to sit at the table to eat some cereal. “Soooo...Naraku is gone? We told her we didn’t like him, but she wouldn’t listen. She said he was ‘sweet’ and ‘charming’.”

“Yeah he’s gone,” Inu growled sitting back down and resuming his eating. He didn’t like these girls.

And what in all the hells was so bad about him?

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Kagome scrunched up her nose as she studied Inuyasha’s profile.

‘Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka are wrong! I’m not going to end up with Inuyasha!’

Of course the longer she eyed him the more she wished she was wrong. ‘Nah! I liked Yoshi, which really was a good name for him because he was so good and respectful. I also liked Kazuo. Man of Peace!’

She couldn’t like someone like Inuyasha!

He was loud, arrogant, rude, egotistical, insensitive, and a jerk!

Of course...

...He also helped her out and gave her a chance. And a good friend and an ok role model for the boys. Plus he was protective and could be nice. And he had that car!

Groaning she leaned back into the couch.

‘Maybe those three airheads were right...’

Glancing at Inuyasha, he turned just in time and their eyes met.

There was that butterfly feeling again for Inuyasha and Kag looked away with a blush.

Damn those three to hell!

With their little comments they now had Kagome doubting her friendship with Inuyasha and wishing it was more!

Twitching her nose she went back to what she was supposed to be doing-

-Catching up on all the gossip since she'd disappeared from the world four years before.

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“And Kin and Gin got married and have a bouncy baby boy!” Ayumi cooed.

Kagome burst out laughing.

Eri and Yuka frowned. “What?”

“Gold and Silver?!” Kagome gasped between giggles.

“Huh?” Ayumi asked, confused.

“Kin means ‘golden’ and Gin means ‘silvery’,” Inuyasha grunted. “Apparently their names are funny to this bitch.”

“INUYASHA!” Kagome screeched throwing a decoration pillow at the laughing man.

“Hey Inuyasha?” Eri asked.

“What?”

“That’s why.” Eri pointed out.

“Oh.” Kagome wouldn’t go for a guy like him because he understood her?

Or, did she mean the ‘bitch’ comment thing.

Inuyasha shrugged.

Neither was that bad in his mind.

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“KOUGA-KUN!” Kagome yelled, excited, when said man showed up at her door.

He handed over a bouquet of red and white roses. “Here you go Kagome.”

“Thanks! I love them!” She said, burying her face into the blooms. “How’d you get them so late in the season?”

Kouga merely smirked and winked.

Yuka nudged the growling Inuyasha in his side. “See that?”

“What about it?” Inuyasha asked gruffly, eyeing the smiling girl and the smirking boy by the front door.

“Kagome goes for that kind of guy,” Ayumi added with a whisper.

“What? A wimp?”

“No,” Eri rolled her eyes. “A *sweet* guy who gives her flowers and nice words.”

“You don’t really strike us as that kind of guy,” Yuka whispered.

“Feh.”

Inu pouted and sulked in the armchair. That is, he did until Kouga gave Kagome a hug and a peck on the cheek. Then he growled and left the room in a huff. “Disgusting.”

“What’s his problem?” Kouga asked innocently, an arm still wrapped around his friend’s waist.

“I don’t know,” Kagome shrugged, going back to chatting with her old friends.

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“What was your girl chat about?” Miroku asked while strolling the grounds of the Sunset Shrine with an arm around Sango’s shoulders.

He felt his arm lift up and down as his girlfriend, yes finally his girlfriend, shrugged.

“Well, those three old friends of hers mentioned something about Kagome going with Inuyasha. Kagome declined and they pestered her about how perfect he looked until she walked off.”

“So...” Miroku dragged the word out.

“...Do you think I look ‘perfect’ too?”

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-Ring- -Ring- -Ring-

“I got it!” Kag called as she ran into the kitchen to pick up the phone. “Moushi Moushi?”

“Hello Ms. Higurashi,” a cold voice drawled on the other line.

Kagome gasped.

But it couldn’t be!

But it was!

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“KAGURA!”

The screech brought Inuyasha in from the living room where he had been watching Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and Kouga leave after visiting their old friend to catch up.

His lavender gaze eyed Kagome’s back and waist. They seemed to just be calling out to him to hug.

Mentally shaking his head, he stepped forward. “Is that really her?” he whispered into her ear and was delighted to feel her shiver.

“Uh huh,” she told him, not bothering to turn around to see who it was.

She already knew.

“Kagura, thank you! I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and I’m so thankful that you let me-“

“Kagome! Shush woman. I’m glad to hear you’ve figured out your mistake. I heard our favorite crimson eyed man is finally gone.”

“Yeah, he is. Ew-and what a way to go!” Kagome wrinkled her nose.

Kagura laughed on the other side. “Oh, I agree. I just wanted to thank that male friend of yours for helping to get rid of him.”

Kagome covered the mouthpiece and whispered over her shoulder, “She says thanks.”

“No problem,” Inuyasha shrugged, still standing as close as he could to the young woman.

“He says you’re welcome,” Kagome chirped into the phone.

Kagura swore she heard the shout of ‘I did not! I said no problem’. “Good.”

“Kagura, are you doing alright?”

“Yes, I am. My sister, Kanna, and I are on ‘vacation’, we’ll be back soon.”

“That’s good. Give me a ring when you’re back, please?” Kagome asked.

“Sure.”

“Take care of yourself, Kagura. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“You too, Kagome.”

“Thanks,” Kagome told her as she hung up. “Kagura is doing fine,” she directed to the man she found disturbingly near.

“Good.” Inu shrugged and walked out of the room as quickly as he had come in.

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Kagome groaned as she collapsed onto the couch next to Sango. Miroku and Inuyasha looked up from their argument about a hockey game to eye her warily.

“I was looking through some mail that has piled up here,” she started while covering her closed eyes with one hand and rubbing a temple with the other.

“And?” Sango asked gently.

“And...because of my unexplainable absence at work, I’ve been let go. I can’t go back there,” Kagome finished.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Miroku said from beside her.

“Thanks. No worries right? At least I have my health!” Kagome replied sarcastically.

Before they could finish the discussion, Mrs. Higurashi’s voice carried down the hall to them. “Dinner!”

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“Inuyasha?”

Kagome wandered up onto the roof of the mini-shrine from the ladder. She stepped lightly next to the quiet young man and plopped down next to him.

Curling up at his side, she wrapped the old blanket around both their shoulders.

The nights were getting increasingly colder.

“Inuyasha?” she gently asked again.

“What?” he asked, still looking up at the twinkling stars in the black and navy blue sky.

“Are you all right? You’ve been acting weird since Naraku died.”

“I’m fine. How bout you?”

“I guess.”

“Kagome?”

“Yeah?” she answered joining him with looking up at the night sky.

“What are you planning to do now?”

“I’m going to catch up with my mother. Maybe look for a job.” Kagome told him uncertainly.

“Um, Kagome?”

“Yes, Inuyasha?”

“Would you...would you...”

Kagome turned her stormy blue eyes to his lavender ones. “Yes?”

“Would you stay with me?”

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Oh! What will Kagome say?

In Kyoto she has her old friends, Kouga-kun, her mother, her grandfather, and her home.

But in Tokyo she has Inuyasha!

(I know which I’d choose!)

One chapter left, then I’ll begin to plan the sequel.