Blood Stained: Chapter 25: Because she was her

Blood Stained

Chapter 25: Because she was her

Kagome hadn't been able to fall sleep since she had gotten back home. Nor could she eat. Her heart had been beating hard against her rib cage as if it was trying to break through. Bad thoughts had been running through her mind as she tried to make sense of everything. Obviously she was attempting to tell herself that it was merely a coincidence and that he was not him.

But, it was hard to ignore the little voice in the back of her head.

What were the chances that `the man' she encounter at the clinic was named Sesshomaru. Looked a lot like him and didn't break away from staring when he found her stalking him? There were just to many coincidences for it to conveniently just be accidental happenings.

Although, if it was indeed him, it left one question, How did he know she would be at the clinic?

She wouldn't have been that surprised if he had shown up at her house, since she highly believed he could have found her quite easily. But how could he find out about the clinic, when she didn't even have an appointment until that day? The only possibility that came to her mind was that the phone was tapped. Which was highly ridiculous of course?

Sesshomaru hated her, why would he work so hard to encounter her or make his presence known?

The only possible reason would be if he wanted something from her, but what could she possibly have that he desired? Nothing. The more Kagome ran things through her mind, the more she believed she was missing a piece of the puzzle somewhere.

There was only one problem though. The person who had that piece was him.

It was one thing to stalk Sesshomaru and try to find out if he existed in her time. But quite another thing was to actually face him and talk to him. After all, she didn't know his current situation or what could explain his different appearance. On top of that she had no knowledge of what happened to the beast and frankly she feared it most out of the two.

Once again Kagome tossed in her bed completely restless.

The sun had risen quite a while back, but she could not bring herself to leave her bed. Right now she didn't know what was out there. It seemed safe. Of course it was all an illusion, but it hardly mattered at the moment.

Kagome was at a loss and she didn't know what to do about it. One option was to ignore it completely, and keep doing so, unless he manifested himself or confronted her. Considering the fact that she had just managed to escape him, she wasn't really leaning towards facing him. She knew deep down inside she wasn't ready for that, not this soon.

She buried her face in her pillow breathing heavily. Kagome didn't believe she could ignore him or pretend that none of this had happened. She had to try? Going home meant escaping him, trying to get her life back, but this wasn't it. It felt like she could not escape him.

Sure she had no confirmation that it was Sesshomaru, but the possibility was extremely high.

Kagome groaned against her pillow before her stomach growled. Gently she pulled away from her pillow before sitting on her bed, a sigh escaping her lips. When she had come home the previous night, she hadn't said a word to anyone and even though her mother wouldn't ask, Kagome knew deep inside she would wonder.

Without another thought, she weakly punched her pillow before getting up.

A feeling of fury was stirring up inside of her and Kagome found herself unable to stop it. At first, she had felt sadness, then fear, but now she was angry. Not at him, but perhaps at life itself. At the moment she felt trapped, as if there was nowhere to hide. Even five hundred years weren't enough to run away from him.

It was as if she wasn't allowed to run away, she had to face him. It nearly brought a rebellious feeling inside of her that demanded she refuse to acknowledge that he might be in her era. It was not fair and she could feel the tears burning her eyes.

Before she knew it she reached the last step and found herself staring at a nearly empty kitchen. Only her mother was present. Miyu smiled at her daughter before untying her apron and going for the fridge.

“Would you like something to eat dear?”

Distracted, Kagome nodded before taking a place at the table. Quickly Miyu placed a bowl of Nikujaga in front of her and a spoon.

“Thanks,” said Kagome before slowly eating.

Once again Kagome was not very hungry, but she knew she had to eat something, if not for her sake then for her child's sake. She swallowed the food with difficulty, nearly feeling it hit her empty stomach. A small feeling of nausea was present, but she knew she would not be sick.

Miyu took a seat beside her with a bowl of Nikujaga for herself and ate in silence. Last night her daughter had come home quite late and it had been easy to notice her state of panic. Miyu didn't know what had happened, but she had a bad feeling, not many things could provoke Kagome's fear.

The silence quickly filled the room and Kagome didn't like it because it made her think about him too much. To her relief, her mother was the one to break the annoying silence.

“I'll be making some pies later for the charity event, would you like to help?”

Even if they didn't share any information regarding her current predicament she didn't want her daughter to be alone. It would be enough to have her around and make sure she wasn't hurt more than she was now.

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip slightly before nodding.

“I'd like that,” she answered, her voice almost a whisper. Truth was she was afraid to be alone with her thoughts. She didn't trust herself right now, especially considering the fact that she was still a mess.

“I think he's here.”

Miyu's eyes move and locked onto Kagome's frame, she didn't utter a word. Yes he could refer to a lot of people, but she knew in this case it could only be one person. For a second, a flash of fear mixed with anger went through her, but it quickly faded away.

Kagome was staring down at the table avoiding looking into her mother's eyes.

“I-mm not sure. I mean it doesn't make sense that he would be here, but … what if? I mean, what does he want with me?”

Most of the questions could not be answered, she asked them anyway. Her mother knew as much, or even less than she did, perhaps another opinion or point of view would help to see things differently.

“I saw him, well not him, but someone who looked like him at the clinic. I thought it was nothing, especially since the delivery boy,” she paused as she began to blink back tears.

“But, then last night… I found out he's named Sesshomaru too…” Kagome began sobbing, making her words slurry and hard to understand. “And I - he saw me stalking him.”

Miyu stared at her daughter, trying to process what had been said, which was quite difficult considering her current state. But, she had managed to understand the gist of it. She felt her own heart pounding as she thought about that man being present and around her daughter.

Obviously her protective mother instincts were kicking in, and she knew she did not want that man anywhere near her little girl. Yes, there was not much she could actually do if he came, but that didn't mean she would stand there and watch.

“What if he's here?” asked Kagome her voice breaking.

The idea of facing him now was even more terrifying especially since she did not know what happened to him. Who would she face? She breathed out heavily before burying her head in her arms.

Can't escape.

Kagome wanted to tell herself things would be different, that even if he was here he couldn't do what he wanted anymore, but it was hard. After all, he was Sesshomaru. He would do what he wanted right? Although, if youkais still existed and were hiding, didn't it technically mean they hadn't been doing whatever they wish?

She groaned in frustration and pain.

Miyu put her hand on Kagome's shoulder gently rubbing it. What word could comfort her? None. Her worry would be present until she confirmed his presence and then, if he were indeed here, her fears would only grow bigger.

Suddenly their silent conversation was disturbed by a noise coming from outside. Both of them turned their heads in the direction of the door. Kagome looked much more panicked than her mother. Slowly Miyu rose from her seat and walked towards the door opening it.

She reached out for something and came back in closing the door behind her. Kagome could see a few envelopes in her hands and breathed out a sigh of relief.

“The mailman,” said Miyu, as if to re-assure her.

Now that Kagome had suspicions about his presence, even a small sound coming from the outside world was enough to make her edgy and Miyu felt her heart growing heavier. She shouldn't suffer like this, especially now that she should have been safe at home.

Miyu put the mail down on the table, the few letters spilling on top of one and another. Kagome probably wouldn't have paid any attention to them if it hadn't been for one of them. It had her name written neatly in large letters on it causing her heart to skip a beat.

Yes, it was normal for her to receive letters in her own house, but this was not regular mail. Who would send her mail? All she had was school, no bills, no cards, nothing and this definitely didn't look like school mail.

Kagome's hands were shaking as she slowly reached out for the letter, her mother watching her. She picked it up, her eyes scanning the whole thing very quickly. She was barely touching it, as if it would burn her. Nonetheless, she gently opened it tearing up the envelope from one end to the other.

Once it was open she carefully took out the letter from inside, putting the envelope down. The paper was neatly folded and it looked as if she was scared to unfold it to reveal its contents. Even though everything inside of her was screaming she opened up the letter.

Miyu watched as Kagome's lips slightly parted while tears quickly appeared in her grey eyes. As Kagome remained motionless her hold on the sheet of paper loosened, causing it to fall flat on the table. Miyu looked over only to see an address written on it.

That was it. Nothing else was on the paper except an address neatly written in ink. Kagome closed her eyes knowing whom it was from. It took a few seconds for her to bring her arms down and as she did so, she pushed the letter away. She didn't want it.

Kagome breathed heavily, her chest rising in and out very fast. Her lips were now pinched together, slightly too hard as she began to get up. She shook her head slightly before heading outside under Miyu's worried glaze.

Once she made it outside Kagome hurried to the tree, to Inuyasha's burial place and when she reached the spot she sat down, her back pressed up against the large tree. Her head was low and she was staring at the ground, her eyes glancing over to Inuyasha's grave.

Did the letter mean it was Sesshomaru, or that whoever it was, wanted to meet her? Could he be relaying a message? But it wouldn't make any sense, unless Sesshomaru's beast was still present and he didn't trust it with her around?

She sighed heavily. No matter the reason, she didn't want to go.

Could he really do something? This wasn't the feudal era anymore. She unconsciously began to chew on her bottom lip before closing her eyes. She hadn't been able to feel safe in her own house yet and there he was ruining it again.

Why now?

Why not, before she went down to the well for the last time, before that critical event occurred. Why did he let her go? If he was present in her era he should have come and stopped her from going down the damn well.

It was at that moment that she raised her head and looked in the direction of the well. Her heart was pounding as she found herself wondering if it still worked. Kagome could clearly remember the flash of pink light which had surrounded her body, leaving her to wonder if it was still functional.

Kagome knew she couldn't try it. Being stuck in that time period with him was much worst than being in her own. If she did try it, for the sake of it and she remained stuck again, she would probably break down completely. It was safer to not try.

She looked away from the well to stare at the emptiness in front of her. No, it was decided, she would not go. But that didn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, just like it had happened many times by the tree.

She wouldn't face him.

-B-

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Kagome could hear every second ticking away and her heart was ready to burst. There was no time or date on the paper she had received. Did it mean it was a never-ending meeting time? She had wanted to push it away, to forget about it, but obviously it had been impossible.

Sesshomaru was everywhere she looked and the thought of him lurking around her house made her heart ache. Not only that, but sometimes she found herself worried about not only her safety but her family's as well. Would he hurt them?

Her lips were twitching as she stared at her mother, who was slowly working on her pies. Kagome said she would help, but she was so stressed out right now that the scent and view of the food would have been enough to make her vomit.

Her mother had kept the paper. Kagome could see it from where she was sitting. Miyu had decided that if Kagome wanted it in the garbage, she would it put it there herself. Not that she really wanted her daughter going, but it was her decision.

Kagome sighed before slowly getting up and making her way to the living room, her curiosity getting the best out of her. She had to find out about the address. She sat down in front of the computer and began her research. Kagome didn't require the piece of paper, the address was engraved in her mind.

Every key she hit on the keyboard, her heart pounded. She couldn't even bring herself to blink as the page loaded in front of her, a familiar sickness overcoming her. When it was fully loaded, she dared let her eyes scan over the results and was surprised when she saw the result. Satei Hato -Coffee Shop.

Coffee? He wanted to meet her over a coffee?

For a second Kagome felt thrown off balance. She had expected perhaps a house, somewhere secluded, not in the middle of Tokyo, surrounded by people. Was he trying to make a friendly comfortable environment for her? Could he not realize that the only thing making her uneasy was him?

A public place. Could it really make a difference? Could it really be safe to meet him there?

Kagome's eyes widened slightly as she realized she was actually considering this. How could she possibly want to go meet that monster after what he put her through! She had no idea what happened to him and who would be in control of the body. There was no way this could be a good idea.

But then again, was it safer to stay hidden in her house? After all, he had quickly found her. Only a few days after she had managed to break away from him, he had encountered her in the clinic, when there was no way he could have known about her appointment.

If he knew about her and her location, he could have easily walked in whenever he wanted to. Could that possibly mean the beast was not in control? But none of this explained the change in his appearance if that was Sesshomaru. Point was he could come into her house if he really wanted to.

If she refused his invitation and didn't come, after a while would he get upset? What if that caused him to come and perhaps harm her family? It's not like it sounded like a crazy idea, especially considering the fact he had killed his own brother without much of a second thought.

Kagome had previously sacrificed herself for her friends, whom she considered her second family and obviously, she was more than willing to do the same for her real family. But to see him again? She could already feel her body's stress levels growing with fear just at the idea of facing him again. Could she really handle it?

She couldn't run.

If she did try to go back to the feudal era, there he was, if she remained in her own era, there he was. One way or another she would need to see him again and there was nearly no way to escape it. If she remained where she was he would eventually be the one coming to her.

Kagome took a deep breath before mentally nodding. She had to go. She didn't want him anywhere near her house or her family. She couldn't wait and allow him to be pushed until he would choose to manifest himself in front of her door. Not today though. She was not ready to leave and meet him right away.

Tomorrow perhaps, but not today.

She would need to be mentally ready to face him and she was not. Heck, she probably would never be, but at this instant, she felt at her worst, especially considering the fact that simply thinking about meeting him was causing her whole body to shake in fear. At least this time she would have her powers.

Kagome gently closed her eyes before getting up and going in the direction of the kitchen where her mother was still preparing the pies. Kagome grabbed the light yellow apron which was hanging on the wall and put it on. Miyu smiled at her daughter when she reached her side and moved over to give her some room.

Kagome glanced her mother's way, before seizing away some cherry jam.

“I'll go.”

It had been hard for Miyu to hide her surprise and she had been unable to stop herself from ceasing her movements. She gently turned to face Kagome, her smile nearly gone from her face, since her worry had taken over her whole body. Honestly, Miyu hadn't expected Kagome to go, or at least not to make up her mind so quickly.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” To be honest, it scared the life out of her to imagine her little girl meeting up with him.

Kagome gently shook her head. “I need to be on my own, mom.”

In all honesty, she feared his reaction if her mother was there and she didn't want any harm to come her way. Kagome almost felt bad since every time her mother proposed to help, she would turn her down. It wasn't because she didn't want her by her side, because Kami knew she needed her, but she wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to her.

Plus, this was her fight. The less people involved, the less damage would be done. Kagome had already been broken and abused by Sesshomaru - or his beast more than once and she could survive as she had shown and proven. Granted, she did not enjoy his treatment, but she rather have his fury on her, than the people she loved.

It was for that exact reason that her mother could not come.

Miyu nodded her head in understanding. She could easily guess why Kagome didn't want her to come, but it still pained her to be unable to do anything for her daughter. She was her mother and she was the one whom was supposed to protect her from harm, not the other way around.

Silently, both women continued their cooking tasks, their minds focused on something else.

Only one thought was in Kagome's mind. The nightmare was about to begin once more.

-B-

“She will go.”

He nodded. “When?”

“I do not know, sir. She did not say.”

He dismissed him with a gesture and the man obliged quickly. Once he heard the door close, he rose from his seat and walked towards the window. This was the exact same window from which they had crossed glances. To be honest, he hadn't expected her to locate him so quickly. He either thought she would not go looking for him, or that perhaps, she would go the wrong way in her research.

Although their encounter at the clinic had probably sped up her desire to find him, which had been exactly what he had wanted. And now, once again to his surprise she would even go to the cafand meet up with him. She had more inner strength than he believed her to have.

Technically it was a little soon to start this and he strongly believed she would deny his request. Nonetheless, time was quickly running out and the options were fading away. He had tried completing the task, but without her it was proved to be difficult. Even with her, this could take over months to finish.

He turned his head slightly, the light of the lamp hitting his green eyes. The only reason why she might agree to the whole thing would be because of her spirit. If she refused, he knew she would carry guilt around and she would find it hard to bear. Of course, if he also told her some tales of the past he was aware she would not be able to refuse.

There was no way to stop the sigh that escaped his lips. Perhaps there was another reason why he went to the clinic. Ever sine he had found out, he had felt a strange feeling for the very first time, guilt.

He walked away from the window before sitting down once more, staring at the fire. The house was empty and calm, especially considering the fact that only ten people occupied it, eight of them being servants. There was a time when he had enjoyed the calm and quiet, but now, it made his ears ring.

This world was boring, it was all about hiding and gimmicks. Humans had corrupted it, transforming it into nothing but evil. He could hardly understand why she preferred this era, but then again, she hadn't witnessed all the changes like he had. The wars, the chase, the destruction, he had seen it all with his own eyes. Change had also come along, but he strongly doubted it was for the best.

Perhaps because things had changed once she had gone. She had brought a light into his life, he had not realized. Even when she had grown and married her presence remained, especially when she became a mother. But then, the faithful day in every human's life had come and she had passed away.

He had not shed any tears when she was buried. He had placed one single yellow flower on top of her grave. He had respected the wish she had expressed when she had been but a little girl. He would never forget her. Time had passed, but her memory remained vivid in his thoughts.

To this day, her descendants still lived. He had watched them grow from afar and have their own children. He had made sure nothing wrong happened to them and that the line would keep on going. Of course, by now it was much smaller. Only three remained, a mother, a daughter and a son.

Her.

Out of all the people, out of the whole world, she had to be the one. All this time they had been sharing a bond closer than they could imagine. Only near her birth had he found out. At first, he had watched Miyu grow and when she had reached her twenties, he had seen a striking resemblance, but hadn't thought much of it.

It was when she married him and moved into the shrine, that it all descended upon him. Of course he had recognized the tree, of course he had known where this was all leading. But it hadn't seemed as real until the day they brought their little girl named Kagome home. Then, there was no denying it.

She was Rin's descendant.

Just as she had guessed, he had gone there that day with the firm intention to stop her from going through the well. He had raised Rin as his own daughter and the thought of what had happened with her. He couldn't let it happen. He had remained by her house for weeks, waiting for the time that approximated that faithful day. When it had arrived he had been ready to stop her, but he hadn't been able to.

A force, a power, which had been dormant inside of him for hundreds of years, stopped him. He had been unable to move, or scream and all he had been able to do was watch her jump down that well. His beast. There was no way it should have been able to stop him, yet it did.

Discreetly after she had jumped, he had gone to the well. He looked down into the emptiness. And he knew that the girl that went down that well would never come back. Someone different would come back up in a few months.

What happened 500 hundred years ago was the very reason why he had taken up the task. He had originally planned to finish it without her, but it had proven quite difficult, more than expected. Now, he was left with very little choice, but to have her do it.

Of course, he intended to offer his help. This task, doing this, it was his way of making up for what happened. He still had no feelings towards her. The fact that she was related to Rin hadn't changed his state of mind, but after the events that last occurred between them, he had to do something.

He was the only one who could help her and perhaps even she would realize that. He would try to erase the pain she had gone through. Obviously now, seeing in what world she came from, it was easier to understand how she saw things, but from the way it happened back then nothing had been wrong with his actions.

But, she still suffered.

For Rin, because of Rin, he couldn't leave things like that.

Perhaps because of his honor and he knew he owed Rin for everything she had brought into his life.

He would help her complete the task and be done with it.

-B-

One whole day had passed since Kagome had made the decision to meet up with him, but the previous day she had found herself unable to go. Well, technically she would never be ready to see him again. Today though, she was getting up with the intention of getting this done and over with. She would see him once and then never again. Kagome would make sure to stress that point.

The only problem she was facing at the moment was that her body refused to cooperate.

He had brought into her life a fear she had not known before and it was hard to erase that from her memories, as a matter of fact it would always remain. The only thing she could do was learn to live with it and adapt, which she hoped to do once he was out of her life.

At the moment, she was staring at the pile of clothes her mother had given her, trying to find something to cover her neck. She didn't want her mark to be visible to him. She wasn't his, no matter what the stupid mark represented. She settled for a baby doll pink maternity turtleneck.

This was hard for two distinct reasons. First of all, she would have to face him, second of all she would be in the outside world. That was something she had feared and tried to push back as far as possible ever since she had returned. She couldn't even think about how she would react if she encountered one of her friends there.

To limit the risk of stumbling upon someone she knew Kagome would drive there. At least there would be no way for someone to see her, unlike the subway and walking. Miyu had agreed to lend her the car, which had come as no surprise. Kagome was able to see how worried and pained her mother was, but she was hopeless to do anything.

This had to be done to shield her life from him. If there was a better way around it, or if she knew he would leave her alone if she didn't go, then she'd remain home, but she knew he wouldn't. There was no way he'd go through the trouble of finding her, planning a surprise encounter and leaving letters, if he was going to give up the first time he would fail.

Yes, it had to be better to deal with it now then push it further and perhaps provoke his anger.

She nervously finished dressing herself, covering as much skin as she possibly could. Nervously she looked around the room as if she had forgotten something. After a few seconds she shrugged her shoulders slightly before grabbing her purse, her wallet safely tucked inside. This was it, there was no turning back anymore.

Kagome dragged her feet across the floor as she made her way to the stairs. For the first time she decided they needed more stairs. It took her almost three minutes to reach the last one and once she did she could see her mother waiting for her, leaning against the doorway.

Miyu walked in the direction of her daughter before handing over her cell phone.

“Just in case,” she said, a worried look on her face. It appears this time it was hard to hide her emotions. After all, her daughter was about to go meet her rapist, the man who abused her.

“Thanks,” said Kagome, taking it before putting it into her purse.

She then took the keys from the table, slightly playing with them. “I'll go now,” she said, her voice sounding like a whisper.

Miyu somewhat frowned her brows before pulling Kagome into a tight embrace. She pressed her lips against the tip of her ear. “Be careful.”

The words were more her way of trying to bring her some comfort than anything else. From what Kagome had told her, if he decided to harm her, being careful would not be enough. The thought caused her to tighten her hold.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kagome had seemed pretty clear on the matter, but Miyu couldn't help herself.

Kagome pulled away gently, trying to smile at her mother. “I have to do this.”

Why? Because he refused to get out of her life, he was like a nagging voice in the back of her head the only way to get rid of him was to face him. Hopefully she had more advantages on her side in this time period than she did in the feudal era. Although, she still knew she was taking a risk by agreeing to meet with him.

That also left her to wonder how would he know she was there?

She could hardly picture him spending day and night in front of a coffee shop, waiting for her to show up. There was something going on which she was unaware of. After all, it had been proven by his presence at the clinic. He seemed to be well aware of her movements and actions.

“I'll be back.” She paused. “I promise.”

Was it a real promise? She hoped so.

“Call me in an hour,” asked Miyu.

Kagome nodded before gently backing away fully. She gave her mother one long last glance before fully turning around. An hour. Kagome could only hope she wouldn't have to be in his presence for such a long amount of time.

Miyu watched with concern as her daughter exited the house, her heart extremely heavy. She knew she was supposed to stay behind as Kagome went forward throwing herself in harms way, but she couldn't. So she walked toward the counter and grabbed the letter, reading the address.

An hour. If Kagome hadn't called her in an hour, she would go down to the coffee shop. Kagome had taken the car, so she would take the bus, but it wasn't very far. She glanced at the closed door praying for Kagome's safety.

She still strongly believed this was a bad idea.

Meanwhile, Kagome had started the car and was heading towards the coffee shop. As she began driving her mind was not focused on the road, since flashbacks from what had previously occurred between her and him were all that filled her head. She swallowed hard as she knew she'd be seeing him in a few minutes.

A normal person's reaction would probably be to scream and run away, but nothing about this was normal. Especially since the person who abused you usually didn't live five hundreds years through time, just to make your life even more of a nightmare. On top of that, they would be in a public place and she really didn't feel like making a scene and attracting people's attention.

Unless he tried something, she wanted it to look as casual as possible. No need to have anyone focusing on them. Obviously, it would be easy for him to act normal, but in her case it was a completely different story. Nonetheless, she could pull through this as long as it was quick and he did not attempt to harm her.

Finally, she reached her destination and Kagome breathed heavily before parking the car as close as she could to the coffee shop. Once the car was stopped and parked, she rested her head, before breathing in and out slowly. Her body had begun to shake slightly, caused by the stress of being near their meeting place and she was trying to relax herself.

Come on. One meeting. Find out what he wants from you and never see him again. If he doesn't let you leave, for Kami's sake, use your powers.

She nodded mentally before opening the door of the car and merging into the busy streets of Tokyo. Kagome took small steps until she reached the coffee shop and with a trembling hand she opened the door. Her eyes were somewhat closed as she entered and when she opened them she was surprised to find a half-empty shop.

Kagome scanned the area, as if he was going to jump in her face, but didn't see him. Perhaps he was on his way? Since she still didn't know how he would know, she decided to wait a little. She took a seat at an empty table before putting down her purse on her legs.

“Welcome Miss. May I get you something?” asked the waiter, who had rushed to her side as soon as she had taken a seat.

Kagome knew she couldn't drink coffee since it wasn't good considering the fact that she was pregnant. “I'll have an orange juice.”

The man nodded, before walking off.

She was nervous and edgy, it was hard for her not to move around in her seat. If he wasn't there in fifteen minutes she intended on leaving. It was already hard enough for her to be there and she didn't want to add the stress of waiting for him. He's the one who scheduled a meeting without a time, meaning he should know when to be there.

The waiter came back and put down the orange juice. “Thank you,” she said, before taking a sip.

Afterwards she turned her head in the direction of the window, waiting. She rested her chin in the palm of her hands before closing her eyes. Time seemed to pass slowly as she patiently waited for him to arrive.

Fourteen minutes to go.

And indeed, these fourteen minutes went by and there was no sign of him - or anyone who looked like him. Kagome cast another glance around before grabbing her purse and getting up, ready to pay for her drink. Somehow she was relieved he had not been there. Yes, it meant she still didn't know what he wanted, but not seeing him lifted a weight off of her shoulders.

Kagome put her purse on her shoulder before raising her head and finding herself staring at a man's chest. She was about to apologize but when she looked up, her grey eyes met his green ones, she froze. An overwhelming feeling of panic took control of her body and she remained in the same position.

He was the one to back away slightly.

“Miko.”

-B-