My participation piece for the Fanfic Tournament Challege found here: http://dokuga.com/forum/29-challenges/46246-the-ultimate-fanfic-tournament-challenge#46250
Rating: T (mild language)
Universe: AU
Category: Oneshot
Theme: Book
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and co. Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I write for entertainment purposes only.
~ “*” ~
Sitting quietly on the cushioned window seat, the young woman’s eyes wandered towards the rainy streets of her neighborhood for the umpteenth time. They drifted along the dismal looking sidewalk, occasionally darting up to look at the intersection adjacent to her street. Every so often, her gaze lingered involuntarily on her lonely little mailbox, its only company in the form of a small patch of dandelions.
Kagome sighed and leaned against the rain-splattered window, listening to the steady thrum of the raindrops as they hit her roof. Legs lying across the length of the window seat, she looked down at the red-fabric-bound scrapbook that lay in her lap. Running her fingertips gently across its hard surface, she smiled faintly before turning her head to look out the window once more at the gloomy view. Releasing another hot breath of air, Kagome absently began to twirl the princess-cut diamond ring around her slim finger.
How long ago was it that she had last seen him? Half a year? Oddly, it was hard to remember. Even so, she didn’t really want to think about it. It only made her heart ache that much more.
She still lived her life as normal as it had been before he left, but whenever she returned home to this now empty house, Kagome felt exhausted and drained. The ungiving loads of work plus the added and frequent bouts of worry were finally beginning to take their toll on her.
How could she not worry? The thoughts of her husband living in constant danger would never completely escape her.
Her husband Sesshomaru had been drafted some time ago into the Japanese army to be dispatched for war. He had told her that the conflict was nothing big; nothing he couldn’t handle. The fighting had apparently been started by a “trivial” dispute with northern China, and would most likely only last for a year at the very most – in Sesshomaru’s words, at least. However, that did not cease her endless concerns, despite his honorable attempt to comfort her.
Besides, this whole thing could not have been any worse in ill-timing. They had hardly been married a month when an unexpected call to duty rang, and Sesshomaru was abruptly shipped away from their newlywed home in the Tokyo suburbs.
Her hands unconsciously tightened around the red scrapbook in her lap. She remembered hearing about the shocking news as clearly as if it were yesterday.
~ “*” ~
With a couple light taps, the egg shell cracked and split, sending a glob of oval-shaped yolk to sizzle noisily on the pan. Taking the other egg that sat patiently on the counter, she repeated the action. Satisfied with the eggs’ progress, Kagome shifted her attention to the iron pot, picking up the wooden chopsticks and giving its contents one final stir. Holding the pot by the handle, she served the noodles into each of the waiting bowls.
“The ramen’s ready!” Kagome sang as she scooped the freshly made sunny-side-up eggs into each of the bowls of noodle soup deftly with her chopsticks.
Sesshomaru set down his cup of coffee and made his way over to his bustling wife. The corner of his lip upturned into a half-smile as he watched her attempts to make the breakfast look as appetizing as humanly possible. He put his hands gently around her waist as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck, eliciting a small, delighted giggle from her rosy pink lips.
“Here; I’ll get this,” he said as he pulled away from her to pick up the hot bowls of ramen and carry them to the dining table.
Pulling off her apron and setting it on the marble counter, Kagome grabbed another set of chopsticks and handed them to Sesshomaru as he set the steaming bowls on the table. Immediately after the traditional thanks, the young woman began blowing the ramen cool and eating the flavorsome noodles. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, patiently waited for his breakfast to cool before beginning his meal.
“Hungry?” he asked her amusedly as he began to scan through the pile of yesterday’s mail that covered one corner of the dining table, his coffee in hand.
“Ramen is best eaten while it’s steaming hot,” Kagome stated with a knowing, yet playful smile before taking in another mouthful of noodles.
Sesshomaru chuckled quietly, taking a sip of his black coffee as he picked up a certain envelope hiding beneath a few grocery ads and coupons. As he read the back, suddenly, his face seemed to lose its contented glow. Setting down his coffee mug, his eyebrows creased together, and his golden eyes became stern.
Ripping open the letter, careful of its contents, he unfolded the paper lying within and quickly read through the message. Kagome paused in her meal and looked up, sensing a sudden change in the atmosphere. Chopsticks still in her hand, she watched Sesshomaru with concerned eyes.
“…Is there something the matter?” she asked carefully, still analyzing her husband’s sudden mood swing.
Sesshomaru’s hand lowered to the table, along with the mysterious letter and his nearly empty, yet shocked gaze.
“I’ve… been drafted.”
~ “*” ~
Kagome rubbed her suddenly chilled arms slowly, leaning her head to the side as she felt a familiar sting rise in her nose. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, recalling the way her heart felt at that moment, dropping at eighty miles per hour along with her stomach.
With a long sigh, her hands ran inattentively along the sides of the scrapbook again, hardly noticing the rough texture of the fabric beneath her palms. Her memories began to fast-forward, to when the time came for Sesshomaru to leave.
~ “*” ~
She didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to stay right here, with her. It had been hardly over a month since they had gotten married. A month. Why did it have to happen now?
Kagome reached up, running her fingers through his soft, silver hair. Tucking a lock behind his ear, she sighed, letting her touch linger on his cheek. Hesitantly, she began to pull away from him, but Sesshomaru stopped her, holding her hand against the side of his face with his larger one. His touch was so warm, she thought silently to herself; she would miss this.
For an instant, it felt as if he was not truly leaving. He was only here with her, and this was only another one of their small exchanges. It was just another day, and their love was just a daily, yet cherished occurrence.
But as all fleeting moments did, the blissful feeling didn’t last long. Once again, the dismal and apprehensive atmosphere returned. Sesshomaru let her fingers slip past his hand, watching with regret as Kagome slowly brought her arm back to her side.
She averted his now subdued golden eyes, and cast her gaze to the floor. She had already cried one too many times. Now of all times, she knew crying was the one thing she couldn’t do. Kagome had to be strong; strong for Sesshomaru, and strong for herself. Blinking furiously, she fought the stinging sensation, tightening her hand into a fist.
The sound of a blaring car-horn pierced through the room’s tense silence, jerking Kagome’s head up to look in the direction of the noise. Sesshomaru took in a weary breath as he turned to open the front door, where a silver jeep beside the curb sat waiting for him. The familiar face of his brother, Inuyasha, leaned outside the car window and waved at him.
Sesshomaru turned back to look at Kagome, who smiled weakly up at him, but the strain of her efforts was almost too obvious to him. Pursing his lips, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, taking a small step backwards onto their porch. His gaze lingered on her as she followed forward, keeping the same distance between them while her hand grasped the side of the wooden doorway.
Kagome blinked a couple more times. “I guess this means goodbye…” she said quietly, watching him with saddened blue eyes. Sesshomaru silently noted the way her grip on the doorway frame tightened, and the way her sing-song voice seemed to shake with emotion.
Reaching forward, he cupped her soft face with his large hands, and timidly, her palms met the back of his. Sesshomaru leaned down, pressing his lips firmly against her soft ones. A quiet gasp escaped her, but soon, Kagome relaxed into his embrace, letting his mouth roam hers contentedly. However, all too soon, he pulled back, looking down at his young wife with now shining eyes.
“No, Kagome,” he finally answered her, a small smirk now adorning his lips. “Think of it only as a, ‘See you later’,” Sesshomaru told her, winning a small giggle from the female as he wiped away the stray tear that had escaped her with the pad of his thumb
“Alright,” she complied with a more cheerful smile, now the one who was holding his hands against her cheeks.
Sesshomaru’s hands left her face carefully, only to pull her forward to place a final kiss on her forehead.
“On the bright side,” he added in a slightly teasing, baritone voice, “you can finish all those books you’ve wanted to read, now that I won’t be there to distract you.” He smirked while tucking a stray hair behind her ear as her cheeks heated to a rosy pink.
“Lucky me,” Kagome scoffed sarcastically, although she continued to smile at her adoring husband. After all, it was difficult to be genuinely indignant at a moment such as this. Suddenly, a thought came to mind as he turned to begin the walk to the car.
“You’ll write to me, won’t you?” she asked, unconsciously taking a step forward, beyond the doorway and onto their little, white porch.
Sesshomaru turned back around and nodded, his golden eyes seeming to glimmer with a certain serenity. “Every chance I get.”
Kagome took a breath, and flashed him a small grin. “Good… I’m glad,” she replied quietly. He still looked up at her from the bottom of the porch steps, as if he knew there was something else she wanted to say. Biting her lip, Kagome secretly wished she could prolong him as long as she possibly could. Nevertheless, she knew it would only be delaying the inevitable.
“Then…” she began reluctantly, her gaze dropping to the ground before looking back up at him, “I’ll… see you later.”
Sesshomaru gave out a short breath of amusement. “See you.”
As he made his way down the sidewalk, Kagome pursed her lips together. She watched in silence as her husband approached the jeep while Inuyasha fiddled with the car mirrors.
This all just felt too surreal… Sesshomaru was going to war, despite the seemingly short time they had spent living together. And here she stood, watching the man she loved go, knowing full well that he would soon be hundreds of miles away from her, as well as the looming chance that he might not even return. Kagome’s heart clenched in her chest, feeling her eyes begin to burn with hot tears.
“Sesshomaru!” she called out suddenly, finding herself a few more steps forward on the porch. Kagome held onto the porch’s railing, waiting for him to face her.
He answered her after a deliberately long moment. “Yes?” he responded slowly, his back still half-facing her.
Kagome took a deep breath, and gripped the banister a little tighter.
“…I love you,” she told him, feeling her eyes brimmed with the tears that threatened to fall.
He seemed to give out an exasperated, yet amused sigh. His lips upturned into a faint grin as those three simple words resonated in his ears.
“I love you too,” Sesshomaru returned, before opening the car door and stepping in. Kagome smiled, and her heart, though still understandably restless, felt a little lighter. And with that, the silver jeep started off down the road, and finally disappeared from sight.
~ “*” ~
The corners of Kagome’s soft pink lips lifted a bit at the thought of the bittersweet memory. Looking down at the red album that lay quietly in her lap, she rubbed her hand over the surface yet again. Taking in a resigned breath, Kagome lifted the hard cover, revealing the first page.
A letter lay there in the first clear page-protector, slightly splattered and stained with the small bits of mud that had found their way to the paper. The well-known, elegant curves and edges of her husband’s writing covered the page.
‘His first letter to me,’ she mused noiselessly to herself. Her gaze lingered on the neatly written letters, repeating in her mind the writings that had already been read so many times before. However, this time, she flipped over the page and read the back of the letter first. Kagome smiled as she chanted the familiar words.
.
‘Greetings, my love.
‘Before I go on, yes; on the other side of this letter is a story. I know how fond you are of books, so I figured I would write you one. Forgive my awful writing, but enjoy the story all the same. In case you were wondering, yes, this story is based off of ours, although, I’m highly confident that you have figured this out by now. The story will be continued in the next letter.
‘We have just arrived at our first base, though I am not allowed to tell you where it is located. At the moment, we are all preparing for the night. Tomorrow will be an early day, so I cannot stay up for long writing to you. I know you will be worried about me, despite my efforts to tell you otherwise, so I won’t try to stop you. Though I will say, there is nothing to worry about. It’s completely safe here. With that said, goodnight, and I love you, Kagome. –Sesshomaru
‘P.S. And no, we did not fall in love at first sight. You and I both know very well how hard I had to work to earn your love.’
.
Kagome smirked and turned the page-protector back to the front and read the story he had written her on the other side of the paper.
.
‘Once upon a time, there lived a woman. She was smart, caring, and undeniably beautiful. Due to fate, a certain man met this lovely young lady, and the two fell in love instantly. The couple married and lived a happy life filled with love and bliss.
‘The man, however, was called away to serve the king in battle and was forced to leave his beautiful wife. The good wife helped him prepare for war, such as chopping off his luxuriously long locks.’
.
Kagome’s grin widened as she recalled the trip to the hair salon. That was a truly depressing day, she admitted. She remembered feeling so reluctant when the barber raised his scissors to lop off Sesshomaru’s waist-length, soft, silver hair.
“B-but, do we have to?” she had asked. Unconsciously, she held onto the ponytail the barber had put his hair in with certain protectiveness.
“I will still have my hair, Kagome,” Sesshomaru tried to console her. “It just won’t be as long.”
Kagome touched her own raven locks, still subconsciously listening to the sounds of rain pounding on the roof. Her hair was not nearly as soft and lush as Sesshomaru’s, something she had always envied about her husband, but it helped her to imagine touching his hair as if he were there with her.
She really missed playing with his impossibly soft hair. She recalled the way it ran so easily through her fingers, just like silk. Even though it was short now, she didn’t mind as much anymore. He had explained to her how inconvenient it would be for him to be tripping over his long hair in the midst of a battle, or something of the sort.
Kagome looked down at the letter again and finished reading the rest of the story.
.
‘And as well as this, she helped him prepare mentally for the fighting to come. She was indeed a good and caring wife.
‘When the time came for the man to leave, he bid her a temporary farewell, with promises of his return. After all, the man was strong and nearly invincible; nothing could bring him down. He made sure his lovely wife was aware of this.’
.
Giggling lightly at his ego’s way of comforting her, she flipped the page over, glancing over all the other letters he had written her.
The front side of each all had excerpts of the letter novel on it, each somewhat corresponding with what he had to say in his personal letter. Such as this particular one, reading like so on the front:
.
‘The man had to take on various missions for his king and surpass many obstacles. One such obstacle was consuming horrendous food. The so called food was cooked past its normal range of baking, leaving a bland serving of mush in its wake.
‘After the meal, the men were told to rinse off the grime that had caked on their bodies. The man happily complied. The rinse areas were large, and full of men. Though the man was grateful for the wash, he dearly wished it was not men he had to bathe with. He dearly wished it was rather his wife.’
.
Shaking her head with a smile, she turned the page over.
.
‘Kagome,
‘As always, it is good hearing from you. In answer to your letter, yes; the food is terrible. Tonight we ate packaged venison. I’m not exactly sure how they cooked it, but I’m almost positive that they mass microwaved it. Though it is edible, I would much rather eat your delicious cooking. I miss it.
‘The shower was a nice change, compared to all the smoke and gunfire. For once in a long time, I feel significantly cleaner. I’m finding myself missing you more each day, and have frequent dreams of you and our home in Tokyo. –Sesshomaru’
.
Kagome flipped through the pages, glancing at each beautifully written epistle until she came to the page holding the last letter she had received from him. She slowly began to read it in contemplative silence.
.
‘The missions from the king were coming in more and more frequently. However, they were considerably more benign than the previous ones. The man soon realized that could only mean one thing: Soon, he could return home. He would be able to see his loving wife and hold her in his arms once more.’
.
Kagome flipped the page immediately after reading the excerpt and continued reading the rest of the letter.
.
‘My dearest Kagome,
‘I’m sorry for taking so long to write to you. Free time comes by scarcely nowadays. However, word has it that we will be returning home within the month. I’m unsure which return dispatch they will place me in, but rest assured, we will see each other soon. –Sesshomaru’
.
The young woman ran her thumb across the plastic-covered letter, before carefully closing the epistle-filled scrapbook. She took in a quiet breath, hugging the album tightly to her chest.
That was three weeks ago.
And knowing the arrival lag of the mail from the soldiers, it was probably even longer than those three weeks. So that made it about a month, didn’t it?
Kagome sighed, glancing back out the rainy window.
“When will you come back for me, Sesshomaru?” the young woman asked quietly, with a tang of impatience evident in her voice.
Glancing back down at the red scrapbook, she pursed her lips. ‘...I miss you,’ she added resignedly.
Just then, Kagome’s head jerked up in alert, hearing the loud rumble of a car as it approached her house. Looking outside, her eyes were met with the well-known red of the mail truck as it came to a stop in front of their mailbox. Jumping up, she placed the scrapbook on the window seat and grabbed the umbrella that sat next to the doorway.
When she arrived at the mailbox, the truck had already left and made its way to the next house. Opening the small hatch, she reached in and pulled out that day’s mail. Cradling the bunch in her arm and holding the umbrella with the other, she trotted back to the house, safe from the torrent of rain that poured down on her thin umbrella.
Hastily shutting the door behind her, Kagome closed the waterproof contraption skillfully with her free hand.
She made her way to the coffee table and spilled the letters onto it. Quickly, she shuffled through the numerous letters, dismissing any ads or bills for the time being. However, her body froze as she came upon a slightly wrinkled envelope, her name and home address scrawled across the back of it.
She knew the handwriting by heart – it was Sesshomaru’s. There was no doubt in her mind. Though, the marks seemed rougher, as if it had been written in a hurried fashion. Kagome bit her lip instinctively, unsure of what to expect. Unlike the other times when she discovered a letter from Sesshomaru, she felt apprehensive. This time was different; the mood felt tense; heavier.
Kagome opened the letter, pulling out the trademark mud-splattered letter. Unfolding it, she cautiously began to read the short excerpt, subconsciously noting the rushed way it was written, not unlike the handwriting on the envelope.
.
‘But fate proved unkind to the man. On his final mission from the king, the man found his time abruptly cut short. Lying quietly in his resting place, he wrote his final words to his loving wife, entrusting the small slip of paper to his comrade.
‘On that note was written a short, but nevertheless, meaningful phrase. It read with these four simple words: “Until we meet again.”’
.
Kagome’s brow furrowed as she turned the letter over, expecting to see an explanation of the story’s apparent end, but to her despair, found nothing.
She shook her head, forcing the worst thoughts of the story’s conclusion from her mind.
If that were true, Sesshomaru at least would have written in his own words, not in story composition. Why would he ever write something so abrupt, with absolutely no explanation? Kagome’s eyes studied the page once again and rethought the situation.
His usually elegant handwriting had become jagged and messy. It looked like he had simply scribbled the words down on the paper. As she had formerly discovered, there was no personal note left for her from Sesshomaru. Only this story’s ending.
And in his last letter, Sesshomaru had told her he would return within the month. It had been a month. In addition, she knew wars were perilous, quite frankly, no matter which way you analyzed it. There was no doubt that they were completely capable of tragic endings.
Finally, her denial shattered, allowing her to come to her adverse realization. What other explanation could there be?
Kagome gripped the letter tighter in her hand, nearly crushing the flimsy paper. She closed her eyes, feeling her body begin to quiver.
Why would he do this?
Feeling the hot tears begin to roll uncontrollably down her face, she released the letter, letting it fall lifelessly to the table.
Why would he tell her like this?
Kagome hid her face in her hands, muffling her desperate cries. Her body shook with choking sobs, and her heart seemed freeze in her chest. The rain began to pour down harder than before, unclear whether it served to rival her endless tears or attempted to comfort the heartbroken woman, hiding her miserable wails.
“You said it wasn’t…” Kagome choked out, wiping the tears away futilely, “that it wasn’t goodbye… Sesshomaru…”
Then for the second time that day, the sound a car approaching resonated faintly though the hard rain and past the window. Kagome turned to look at the car, clenching her teeth as she saw Inuyasha’s silver jeep pull up to the house. She tried to rub away all the tears, using her best efforts to subdue her inconsolable grief.
Inuyasha was home, along with the news of her husband.
Kagome held her head, closing her eyes as she swallowed down her choking sniffs. She might have been acting like a spoiled and selfish child, but she could care less. It was just simply… simply not fair.
“We… just got married…” she whispered, her eyes burning and her chest heaving with suppressed sobs. “All I want… is time with you…”
The doorbell rang, echoing throughout their home. The hand that lay motionless on the table clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm.
She didn’t respond, only sat there, stark still as she continued her silent crying, as if it were Death itself that rang her doorbell.
The bell rang again.
“…I know,” Kagome said quietly. Finally, she shakily rose to her feet and absently walked to the door with a slow pace, as if it could change the irrefutable. Unlocking the door, she took hold of the doorknob and turned it slowly.
Kagome’s heart stopped as her eyes met rain-soaked, silver hair. That perfect silver hair, along with shining golden eyes.
“Sesshomaru…” she rasped in disbelief.
Sesshomaru’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as he saw her distraught face and red-rimmed eyes, but was soon devoid of all previous thoughts as she lurched forward, running into his embrace.
“What the hell!” Kagome cried, sobbing into his hard chest, not even noticing his army garb.
Confused, Sesshomaru hesitantly wrapped his arms around his hysterical wife. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
Kagome pulled away from him, relieved that he was alright and with her now, but now felt a rising anger begin to pulse through her veins.
“I am!” she sniffled, rubbing away the tears that soaked her face, only to be replaced by fresh ones. “But why did you end the story like that?”Kagome demanded between angry sobs. “I… I thought…”
Sesshomaru mouth parted in realization of her misinterpretation. But soon, the corner of his lip lifted into an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry… I thought you liked tragedies.”
Kagome stared at him incredulously. “You jerk! What kind of an excuse is that?” she cried. “I was worried sick, damn it!”
Pulling her back into his arms, he cradled her head against his broad shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again, honestly guilty for making her feel this terrible. “We were leaving on our last assignment, and I wanted to write to you one last time.”
Sniffling into his chest again, her bottom lip quivered slightly as she listened to his explanation.
“Like I wrote, I was short on time, so I decided to end the story,” he clarified. Kagome’s sniffling quieted, and her heart began to race at the feel of him once again as her righteous anger began to subside.
Sesshomaru held her tighter to him. He was overjoyed to be together with her again, but of course, he knew he couldn’t truly take the pleasure of their reunion until she had calmed down from the shock. Stroking her hair affectionately, he sighed, unable to hold back his content smile.
“What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked her softly, running his fingers through her ebony locks. Kagome stilled in his arms for a moment, wrapping her arms unhurriedly around his waist, reveling in the familiar feel of him around her.
“Mm,” she mumbled into him, hardly audible above the loud rain. “I’m… just glad you’re home, Sesshomaru,” Kagome replied quietly, her brief rage having dissipated by now.
Her husband was home. She knew she couldn’t stay mad forever. She really was just happy to have him here with her, safe and sound.
Sesshomaru gave her a genuine smile, leaning back so that he could look his adoring wife in the eyes. Nothing in the world could have taken that long-awaited-for moment away from him.
“I am too.”
Leaning down, his lips met hers in a passionate kiss; a feeling neither of them wanted to lose again.
~ “*” ~