Pink Carnation

A/N: 

Thank you Daniella for beta-reading.

Honeysuckle: Bonds of love

Pink Carnation

Chapter 13: Honeysuckle 

She gently opened her eyes feeling a warm darkness surround her. It wasn't until her blue orbs were fully exposed that the previous events rushed to her mind. The coldness, the snow, and the pain. Inuyasha's betrayal. But through all the harshness, a light came shining through; Sesshomaru.

He found her.

Kagome glanced around at her surroundings and it wasn't too long until she realized that she didn't recognize anything; this was not her apartment. There was only one possible answer; Sesshomaru had taken her to his place. A nervous feeling filled her as she pushed the blankets off her body, a warm blush covering her cheeks.

He was a bit of a stranger, at least to her since her memories were not back, and it was a little embarrassing. God she felt like a fifteen years old teenage girl.

It wasn't until Kagome was standing on her feet that she noticed she was not wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday when she had run out of her apartment. She had a t-shirt on that clearly looked like it belonged to Sesshomaru, and some pink short. Did Sesshomaru have a girlfriend?

Her heart skipped a beat for a second before she shook her head softly. Why was she being so silly? First, his love life was none of her concern, and second of all, according to what had been told to her, they were good friends. Not a couple.

Kagome took a deep breath prior to walking towards the door. Hopefully his place wasn't too big because she knew for a fact that she didn't know her way around. Unfortunately for her, she was graced with a gigantic hallway the second she opened the door.

Her eyes widened as she saw six doors down the hall leading her to believe there were much more down the way. She sighed before embarking on an adventure in a strange house in her bare feet. As she walked towards no specific destination she felt a coldness enveloping her.

Beneath some of her steps the wood cracked, sometimes almost causing her to jump because she thought someone was behind her.

Minutes ticked away as she ventured further down the hall hoping to at least see someone. Suddenly as that thought crossed her mind, she saw an arm and immediately she sped up to catch up to whoever it was. She took a sharp turn to save some time, almost causing her to come crashing against someone.

"Sorry," she quickly said as she regained her balance.

In front of her a middle-aged lady was standing dressed as what appeared to be a maid. Kagome's face brightened a bit; this woman had to know where she could locate Sesshomaru! "I'm sorry, but I'm looking for Sesshomaru. Would you know where I could find him?"

The lady quickly nodded. "In the kitchen."

Kagome pinched her lips together for a second. "Where's the kitchen?"

The maid smiled at her before pointing to her left. "Go down this hall and when you reach the end, turn right."

Kagome nodded. "Thank you!"

She hurried her steps out of nervousness and rushed down the hall. Once she reached the end she found herself glancing right and left, almost to make sure there wasn't any more halls to confuse her before she processed to turn right. It was as she was silently walking towards the kitchen that she finally began to hear noises.

Hopefully it was Sesshomaru.

Her heart was hammering as she stepped into the kitchen, peeking in from behind the doorway. The first thing to appear in her line of sight was Sesshomaru. He was standing in front of the oven, flipping pancakes in a pan. She couldn't help but tilt her head on the side; she had never pictured Sesshomaru as the cooking type.

As she took another step forward, she couldn't help but feel as if the aroma in the kitchen was very familiar. Of course she had smelled pancakes before, but it was different… sweeter.

Even though she was halfway into the kitchen, it felt as if Sesshomaru had yet to notice her presence. She found herself wondering if she should speak or wait for him to realize she was right behind him.

"Are you hungry?"

Maybe he did know she was there.

"Sure," she said, her voice more of a whisper than intended.

He hoped that it was the scent that attracted her, but he doubted. If she didn't remember anything about him, she didn't remember anything related to him. Sesshomaru never used to cook, though he could do it well. Pancakes however were not something he considered fancy cuisine, but it was Kagome's favorite breakfast.

It was once he had learned such thing that he had created his own little recipe which involved more sweets, more sugar, and chocolate; anything to have a hyperactive Kagome on his hands. It made her super excited for the rest of the day, but it was worth it just to see the way she smiled so brightly when she was filled with joy… and sugar.

He angled his head on the side a bit to be able to catch sight of her. She was shyly sitting down on the left side of the table, unknowingly taking her usual spot. Perhaps certain habits could never be forgotten.

Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to talk to her and comfort her the way he had done the first time around, but he couldn't. This time, her mind was a mess and she seemed to be weary of everyone; he couldn't get close to her. The best he could do was to be there for her and wait until she was ready to share.

He quickly flipped the pancake one last time before adding it to the gigantic pile that was resting on a plate. He figured her appetite hadn't changed. He grabbed the syrup in one hand, the plate in the other before making his way to the table. Sesshomaru couldn't help but hold a smile back as her eyes widened.

Sugar.

For an instant, Kagome forgot about her awkwardness as he put the plate down in front of her. She could definitely get used to that. Granted she could cook, or get around in the kitchen, but it wasn't always goodapparently. According to Inuyasha at least.

And there it was.

The pain in the pit of her stomach.

For a few moments she hadn't thought about Inuyasha and her heart had been whole, but now… She couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes, but she did her beast to hold them back; she didn't want to cry in front of Sesshomaru. Apparently it was too late because she felt him move a chair and sit beside her.

"I'm a fool."

Sesshomaru didn't even want to think about what she would do if she knew this was the second time she was going through the same situation. It wasn't her fault of course, but he knew it would kill her. It was a small comfort though that her state of mind was a bit better than the previous time, most likely because she hadn't been as emotionally invested into the relationship.

"You are not. Being in love sometimes blinds a person."

A tear slid down her cheek as she shrugged. "I should have known."

"Maybe you did. Perhaps it was forgotten along with most of your memories of the past year."

No, it couldn't be. If she thought or knew Inuyasha was cheating on her, she wouldn't have put up with it. Granted she loved him, but she wouldn't do that to herself would she? After all, hadn't she just run away from him? She wouldn't have allowed him to walk all over her.

Now, there was only one thing in her mind; who was the woman? Inuyasha was known to look at women, but he had never strayed. Who could have possibly stolen him away from her? They had basically spent their whole life together and it had meant nothing to him.

Suddenly she felt a soft thumb brushing her tear away, and she couldn't stop herself from looking up. Her eyes met his, and instead of coldness, or judgment, she found comfort. Once again, she felt it was unfair. Why couldn't she remember him? He seemed to genuinely care for her… yet she knew nothing about him.

She wanted to remember him. She wanted to know why the pain seemed to lessen when he was around, or why she wasn't as awkward as she thought she would be in his presence.

"Thank you for helping me."

Kagome didn't want the subject to stay on Inuyasha and his betrayal. She obviously wouldn't be able to avoid him forever and frankly, she would take as much time off as she could from him until it was time to confront him. She swallowed hard before tearing her eyes off Sesshomaru and glancing down at her food. She didn't really have much of an appetite anymore but she felt as if all the life had been drained out of her.

Slowly she picked up her fork, before turning it to the side to cut out a piece of pancake. Unknown to her, Sesshomaru's eyes still remained on her. He knew Kagome more than she knew herself and he could tell she was holding it all in. It was a big habit of hers that brought her more stress than one person should handle.

They had often bickered about it, but he knew it was difficult for her to stop. It appeared that she would rather suffer in silence than risk hurting someone's feelings. Even now, she should have kicked Inuyasha out of her apartment, yet she was the one who ran away.

His brother had it too easy.

Last time, Sesshomaru hadn't talked to Inuyasha really, or at least he hadn't made it his business. However, this was the second time the bastard hurt her and this time around it would be harder to let it slide. Too many times Inuyasha's actions had been without consequences and perhaps it was time for it to change.

Granted Inuyasha had to have a job at the company, but Sesshomaru was the one fully in charge. He would make sure that for once in his life, Inuyasha would have to work. He would bust his ass and lock him in the office. He wanted to do more, much more; like break his neck, but he couldn't.

Killing his brother wouldn't help anyone, including Kagome. Also if he made the situation a fight, then Inuyasha might use it to hurt Kagome further and that was the last thing Sesshomaru wanted for her.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru's phone vibrated bringing him out of his thoughts. Quickly he retrieved it from his pocket and once he glanced at the caller, he almost groaned. Sango. He had completely forgotten to keep her updated. Then again, he had been pretty busy since he had found Kagome on the road, alone and cold.

"I have to take this," he quickly said to Kagome before rushing to the next room.

Kagome couldn't help but wonder whose call he was so impatient to take. A girlfriend perhaps? Her own relationship was very complicated at the moment, and she hoped she was not ruining his. When she had accepted the ride with him, she hadn't considered the fact that he had someone who might be jealous.

A part of her deep inside wished it was work, and not a woman who had called.

She felt selfish.

-P-

He had done it again.

He had driven her into his arms again. How could he have done the same mistake again when he had been given the chance to make it right? Well, he hadn't exactly cheating on her again, but he had let it slip nonetheless. How was he supposed to know what she truly meant when she said she knew the truth?

Now all he could do was wait and see if she would come back.

That was the difference.

Last time, he had remained by Kikyo's side even after Kagome had found out because he had believed that it was where his happiness was. Obviously, he had been very wrong, but now he knew better. No matter what, Kagome was the one for him and this time he would fight for her.

He couldn't take away his mistake, but he could make it right again. When he had proposed to her, he had made a commitment and he would stick to it. Kagome could never belong to anyone else but him, and he would make sure it would remain that way.

She was still pure, and would remain that way until they were ready.

Sesshomaru might think all the work had been done for him already, but he was wrong. This time Inuyasha wouldn't go down without a fight. He refused to lose anything to his brother, and this time would be no different. Inuyasha would become the man Kagome wanted.

He had believed it was what he had been doing, but once again he had been scared. Commitment, marriage, and kids were a big step, but he knew that if he didn't take it, he would lose her.

All he had to do was to make sure Kikyo wouldn't ruin anything this time. Although, that shouldn't be a hard task since she had been avoiding him ever since she had left him. There was no reason for her to start being interested in him again. Even if she did come around, this time he would turn her down.

Though he had tried that the first time.

"Kagome! Kagome! Wait!"

Inuyasha was almost out of breath as he had rushed out of the restaurant to catch up to his girlfriend. She was already late for lunch, and now she was simply walking by as if they didn't have a date? It didn't seem like Kagome to do something like that.

Kagome turned around, only to reveal she was not who Inuyasha believed her to be. Suddenly he backed away, hoping he had not scared the woman, and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Sorry, thought you were someone else."

The girl offered him a sweet smile, which almost sent jolts down his spine. Now that he was carefully glancing at her, he could see the resemblance. She truly did look like Kagome; it was striking. Except her eyes were a bit more almond shaped, and her lips were a bit thinner. Her whole face appeared to be fancier, more chic.

She looked like Kagome while being completely different.

As he remained standing there, the girl seemed a bit restless. "Can I help you with anything else?"

Inuyasha pinched his lips together, knowing he should walk away and go back inside to wait for Kagome. She was his girlfriend and he loved her. Yet why was it so hard to tear his eyes away from the woman standing in front of him? She was a complete stranger… she didn't mean anything; he didn't even know her!

"Would you like to have lunch?"

Why he had asked, he didn't know. He just didn't want her to go away.

The woman seemed a bit surprise by his words, and though he expected her to get angry, and walk away, a slight blush appeared across her cheeks. "Hm, sure! Why not."

For a second, Inuyasha felt as if his heart was lighter and he nodded. His eyes remained on her form as she walked past him to go ahead, and he smirked. However his good mood quickly dissipated as soon as he reminded himself of Kagome. She might arrive at any minute!

Quickly he grabbed his phone out of his pocket; texting a lie about how he wouldn't be able to make it. He did feel a small amount of guilt settle within him, but he rapidly chased it away. He wasn't doing anything wrong! He was having lunch with a new friend… He simply wasn't telling Kagome because she would get the wrong idea.

He was not lying – not really.

He was not cheating.

He really did love Kagome.

And then, he turned around, his eyes locking with the stranger's eyes again.

Her brown orbs were … captivating. He didn't want to follow, yet he couldn't stop himself. It would only be lunch, then he would return where he belonged. 

-P-

"Sango, I don't think thi-"

Before Miroku could finish speaking he felt Sango smacking her hand over his mouth. As soon as the situation had been explained to her, the first thing she had done was rush to Sesshomaru's house. Of course, perhaps she should have gone to kill Inuyasha first, but she felt like her friend needed her help… that and Miroku had prevented her from bringing any weapons.

The fact that she was unable to unleash her rage upon Inuyasha left her to be angry with Sesshomaru. Really he hadn't done anything wrong, especially since he had been the one to find Kagome, but… he could have called her!

Sango was the first to reach the door, and immediately banged on it, instead of ringing the doorbell. Meanwhile, Miroku made sure to keep a certain distance between himself and Sango, for his safety. Though he could understand; the last time Sango had seen Kagome was after her breakdown when she had learned she had forgotten so many parts of her life.

Finally, the door opened, only to reveal one of Sesshomaru's employees. The poor man was never given a chance to speak as Sango nearly ran by him followed by Miroku who was slightly shaking his head.

"Kagome?" asked Sango as she dashed for the kitchen.

A panicked Sango tumbled through the kitchen where Sesshomaru and Kagome were sitting. Her heart seemed to beat right again as she joined them at the table. Seeing Kagome broken by Inuyasha's betrayal once again almost felt too much to take. It had taken so long to put her back together… and now it had to be done from scratch again.

Kagome was making sure she kept her composure; part of her wanted to break down, but she couldn't allow that to happen. Over the past few days she had found out too much about her old life. Frankly, part of her was wondering if she didn't remember it because she simply didn't want to. From the sounds of things she was not very happy.

Though she did have great friends.

Nonetheless, it was time to confront them.

Kagome was about to began speaking, her lips parted, when footsteps stopped her. She watched and waited as Miroku made his late entrance. He offered her a quick nod, before rushing to a seat near Sango. He would have said something, but he felt like he might say something inappropriate, and now was not the time.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Sango tilted her head to the side slightly. "Lie?"

Kagome nodded. "When I told Inuyasha that you all told me the truth, the first thing he thought about was that he... he cheated on me. That means you all knew."

Inuyasha just loved to screw them all over. Would it be right to tell Kagome they knew because it happened a long time ago? Would it be right to reveal everything to her? The doctor had warned them to keep certain things from her, but at this point, didn't she almost know everything?

It felt it would be more right to give her the whole truth before she was hurt further. Every time they were trying to protect her, they only ended up bringing her more pain, and it was becoming devastating to betray her like that constantly. The best thing to do was to be honest.

Sango took a deep breath, knowing Sesshomaru wouldn't do it, and she would have to. "We did know."

It was hard to watch the flash of pain in Kagome's eyes but Sango continued. "But we only knew because you told us."

Kagome held her breath in for a few seconds as confusion took over. How could they know because she told them? Her body was trembling, almost as if the whole situation was too much to take.

Sango closed her eyes, ready to cringe. "Inuyasha cheated on you a year ago. You guys have been broken up since."

Her words hit Kagome harder than slap, and she remained still as a statue, shock taking over. She refused to accept Sango's words. I wasn't the fact that Inuyasha had cheated on her, but the fact that… they let her be with him. They knew what he had done to her… and yet they allowed him back in her life.

"We were never engaged," she said, staring into the emptiness. "All of it was a lie."

The tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't feel them. She had completely forgotten everything that happened after she had lost the one person she thought would be with her forever. Was it the fact that she hadn't wanted to lose him that caused her memory loss?

Why could she remember everything else but that?

Her bottom lip was shaking as she did her best to bite down on it, but couldn't. "Why?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Sango, Sesshomaru and Miroku were unable to stop the flow of guilt going through them. They never meant to bring Kagome pain and they never wanted to have Inuyasha be around her, but at the time they had been left with very few options and they had to think fast.

If they could change it, they would.

They thought they were doing it to protect her, since it was what the doctor had said, but apparently the risks were low because she was still fine.

"We thought we were doing it for you. We were told that if we forced a memory on you that it could traumatize you… your situation could become worse."

Kagome's lips parted, but then she glued them together, unable to find the words to express herself. They were doing it for her own good? She had heard that excuse before… She knew her friends didn't mean to harm her, but it had happened anyway.

Why couldn't they keep him away from her?

He had betrayed her, and she had ended things with him. Was that the reason behind her friendship with Sesshomaru? Had it been out of the pain, or out of revenge? Had her friendship with Sesshomaru been genuine or it had a motive behind?

Her heart almost skipped a beat. Sesshomaru really seemed different from what she thought, and the thought that she would have been playing him out of hatred for Inuyasha seemed insane, and it hurt. No, there was no way she had done that. There was a real reason behind their friendship, but she couldn't remember it.

"Was anything real?" she managed to inquire through the tears.

Slowly Sango nodded. "What we told you about your life and Sesshomaru that was true. Inuyasha was the only lie."

"Actually –"

Miroku stopped in his words when Sango turned and glared at him. She wasn't sure if he was going to say something stupid or not, and this was his warning.

"There was Kikyo," added Miroku knowing they would now be entering dangerous and painful territory.

"Kikyo?"

Kagome could still remember her. That girl whom nobody was friends with except her. Though she had seemed nice, and a bit strange, hearing her name left a bad taste in her mind, especially considering the tone Miroku had used.

"She was not your friend Kagome."

Someone else had lied to her; it wasn't much of a surprise at that point. However nothing had her prepared for the next words Sango was going to say.

"She was Inuyasha's other woman."

For a second, the whole word stopped moving. It couldn't be. Kikyo had looked like she truly had been worried… and cared. Could she really be that easily fooled? And most of all, why had Kikyo come to see her that day? She hadn't been aware of Kagome's accident… there had been no reason for her to show up at her apartment.

"Why did she come to see me?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders. "That I don't know."

"I do."

Those were the first words spoken by Sesshomaru since the talk had begun. Kagome turned her head to look at him, seeking for answers. She was hurt, but she wanted the truth for once.

"Kikyo is," he paused for a second, wondering if he should mention the part where she was obviously flirting with him. There was truly no point because he would never answer her advances. "trying to get Inuyasha back."

Kagome frowned. "Aren't they together?"

Sango shook her head. "Kikyo left him not too long after you found out about them."

There was a question Kagome wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "How did I find out?"

"Only Sesshomaru and you know."

"I do not know."

It was hard for Sango to hide her surprise. During the first few months after Kagome's break up with Inuyasha it felt like he was the only one she shared with. How could she not have told him such an important detail?

Sesshomaru dared to look at Kagome, something he had found difficult to do since the guilt had been hard to bear. "I found her, but she never said what happened. Only that Inuyasha was cheating on her."

"You found me?"

He nodded. "Much like I did last night."

It was, as a matter of fact, almost the exact same thing, minus the rain and the blood of course. He had truly always wanted to know what had happened, but he knew that if Kagome hadn't shared it then there was a reason. Perhaps it was too painful, though that would mean she had never moved on.

He didn't want to think about that. Sesshomaru was aware that Kagome might never be his in the way he wanted her but to think she was still hung upon Inuyasha was too much.

After the way he had treated her, he didn't even deserve to be a memory in her mind.

Kagome felt a warm feeling in her heart, yet she was filled with pain. Why could she remember someone like Inuyasha who apparently had done nothing but hurt her, and betray her, but she couldn't recall her times with Sesshomaru. Why was her mind being so unfair to her?

Slowly Kagome pushed herself away from the table, before rising to her feet. "Excuse me," she said, holding back more tears before she found herself dashing for the hall.

She didn't know the house or where she was going, but she found herself running. Kagome enjoyed the rush and the forgetfulness that came with running. Eventually the calmness would go away, but for now, she would enjoy it.

After a full minute went by, she came to a full halt. Her heart was pounding as if it was not used to the exercise. She rested her hands on her thighs while attempting catching her breath. A few seconds ticked away before she raised her head and realized she was almost face to face with a door.

She inclined her head to the side, reaching out for the handle. Kagome was aware that it was not her house, and she shouldn't go where she pleased but she recognized the door. It was different from the others, and she knew there was a reason behind that.

Kagome licked her dry lips before entering the room slowly, glancing around. The room was simple, almost empty, with only the basic furniture. Nonetheless she took a few steps forward, squinting as she examined everything. One thing on the dresser immediately attracted her attention; it was a picture of her.

The room was bare of any other decorations or pictures except for that one. Her feet guided her into the right direction until she was in front of it. Gently she grabbed it, holding it in both hands. It had been taken somewhere sunny as the sun was glaring through. The wind was blowing in her hair and her eye were closed, a smile on her face.

She looked happy.

Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had seen herself radiating with joy like that. Most of all, why did Sesshomaru have a picture of her in what she assumed was his bedroom. Why her?

In two days, her whole life had been turned upside down.

She had been confused, wondering who her friends were, and who the enemies were. Also she had been betrayed by the one she loved only to find out she didn't love him. To top it all of, a person she couldn't remember cared about her more than anyone else.

What had happened to her life in the short span of a year? Was she even the same Kagome?

Slowly she put the picture down on the dresser before glancing at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, she had dark circles under her eyes, and she looked pale. She appeared nothing like the picture.

Slowly she dragged her fingers across the wood as she moved forward through the room. It felt very Sesshomaru: it clearly required some color. Kagome found herself chuckling at her own thoughts; she could imagine that she had already said something similar to Sesshomaru.

Perhaps she couldn't remember who she used to be, but it didn't mean that she had to live in her own shadow. If she couldn't recall her life, then she'd make a new one. Kagome would become a new person, one that was her own.

Perhaps her friends remembered someone else, but she couldn't bring that person back.

The first step was to take the poison out of her life, and it started with Inuyasha. Running from him was a good feeling, but she had to face it. Once that step was done, she would forget everything they said she did, and create her own new memories.

It sucked to let go of good things, but if she wanted to move forward she had to. She was sick and tired of trying to remember and be someone she wasn't. Maybe there were things wrong with the old Kagome.

Kagome backtracked until she was in front of the picture once again. This time however, she put it face down so you could no longer see it. Kagome realized that Sesshomaru cared for her, but she needed him to care for who she was now. If he said he did, it would be a lie because to her right now he was a stranger, meaning she was the same to him.

A fresh start was what she required.

The pain in her chest was still vivid and it would be hard to ignore, but she wanted to pull through. She would bare it just to be able to live again. Kagome took a deep breath before deciding to return to the kitchen. Every step she took in direction of her friends she felt her body becoming heavier.

Only once she was standing in front of them did she feel lighter.

"I'm going to end things with Inuyasha, again."

Frankly that didn't come as a surprise. If she did it once before, she could do it now, though it would still not be easy.

"Sesshomaru."

He turned his body and looked into her eyes. He could already see that he might not like what she had to say.

"I think you care about me, but I don't know you. I want to."

She felt silly, a blush almost coming across her cheeks as she spoke. All the male friends she had were friends she made since she was young. Never had she attempted to have a friend only relationship with a man while being in her twenties.

Kagome was almost afraid that being around Sesshomaru would remind her of Inuyasha. But then she thought about how it didn't back then, so it shouldn't now. She couldn't label them as the same when they weren't. It wouldn't be fair.

She almost felt dizzy thinking of the changes she was about to make. She changed before, but she didn't remember. She had to get out of her routine, and perhaps find herself alone.

Loneliness had never been something she enjoyed.

"I need time to put a new me together. I want to remember, but I can't."

Sango was a bit worried about Kagome's memory loss. The doctor said it should come back and it had been a while now, yet still nothing. Could it really be that Kagome would never remember? The worst part was thinking that some damage might have been done, and it could affect her more in the future.

Did Kagome not remember because they kept Kagome from her life? Up until now they had hidden everything from her, and perhaps it was not the right way. Maybe they should have allowed her to be exposed to her own life… and maybe it was now too late.

Sesshomaru couldn't say he was surprised. Hearing her speak that way reminded him more of the Kagome he knew, and he was pleased. It pained him a bit that he had to help her know him again, but he would do it. Apparently she was worth putting himself through all of it again.

However, he knew that this time he might want more.

Before, he had started out as a friend, helping a broken girl. Now she seemed determined, and goal oriented. The mark that Inuyasha had left in her heart wasn't as present and he would take a chance.

He would be her friend, but this time, he might try to be more.

Sesshomaru would be bold enough this time around. He would try to sweep her off her feet; he would try to court her.

He was nervous, there was no denying it, but for the first time it finally felt right. She wasn't as damaged, she wasn't broken, and she wasn't hurt. Kagome could start fresh; have a new life and a new love.

He wouldn't let Kikyo or Inuyasha stand in the way. She wanted to learn about him again, and he was fine with that. However, it wouldn't stop him from trying to protect her like he had always done.

Maybe just maybe Kagome was better off without the memories, even though it meant she had forgotten about him.

He was willing to bear that pain for her happiness.

-P-