With Love

Chapter Twenty-eight: The Prom



Kurama felt the lump in his throat seeing her walking towards him. She was probably going to ask him where he’d been during lunch. He hated the fact that he felt like he was choking from the emotion trying to swell. All the more reason he had to do this. His eyes took in the bright smile she had for him. Could he go through with it? Yes, he had to, he had to end this. Prom was next week and she was expecting him to take her. It wasn’t just about prom, it was everything. He was starting to feel crowded and suffocated. He didn’t think he could take this anymore. If she wasn’t with him he was wanting to call her. He’d found himself waking up to stare at the damn clock in the early hours of morning. She was becoming an obsession. Each week he spent with her the worse it got. It wasn’t just the sex that had him feeling this way. Monday she’d hadn’t come to school in order to go to an appointment. The next day he’d been all over her. He’d missed her during the day and realized that it wasn’t the same without her there with him.


How would he feel if he kept dating her? He knew in the end he’d eventually end things with her. He hadn’t thought about dating after high school. She’d want it to be serious once they were out and he wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready to give himself that completely to someone but it’s what would happen if he stayed with her. Dammit, he had to end it. He’d already caught himself stopping to look at the jewelry department. He’d swore loudly realizing he’d been looking at the rings. He had to be out of his mind, he was losing it. She was the cause behind it, she was getting to him.


Sango stilled in her tracks seeing the frown on her face. Was something bothering him? There was only a foot between them but she waited before going any closer. Where had he been during lunch? He hadn’t been in their normal meeting place and she had looked for him only to find that his car was gone. He hadn’t come back either to walk her to class the remainder of the day either. Had something happened she didn’t know about? Things had been fine this morning between them. Maybe it was a family issue since he’d been happy this morning. They had even shared an affectionate kiss the period before lunch. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”


“No,” he swallowed pass the large lump and tried to look her in the face. He could see the worry there. Did she know what was about to happen? How could she? He hadn’t made the decision until he’d left for lunch. It had taken some nerve to come back and actually do it. There was no way she wouldn’t be upset and pissed about what he was about to do. “We need to talk.” She stiffened at the words but didn’t say anything. Why was this so hard? Just tell her it’s over and walk away. Things had to end before they got too serious. He wasn’t ready for it and that’s where he’d be going if stayed with her. “I’m not sure how to tell you this but I think we need some time apart.”


The words took her like a blow to the chest. The sting of tears was almost instant as the words sank in. It was something she’d hoped never to hear. There was no emotion on his face as she tried to meet his eyes. The green pools were blank, void of any emotion. It was as if he wasn’t standing there crushing her heart. Time apart? She knew what that meant. It was his way of dumping her easy, he was breaking up with her. He didn’t want time apart, he wanted to be free. She opened her mouth to ask what had brought it on but stopped. Why did it matter? Chances were he was tired of seeing the same girl and was ready to go back to roaming or he’d already met someone else. She should be glad that he respected her enough to end things before chasing after the new person. Who was she kidding? He had to end things first because of his friends. It was the right thing to do. She had no hope that he’d come back to her after having time alone to figure out what he wanted. “I see.” No, she didn’t. She didn’t understand it at all. All she knew was that she loved him and things were over.


“I’m sorry, I know you didn’t want things to turn out this way. Just please try to understand I need some time to myself to figure out what I want. I just know things are going too fast for me and I need a break.” His chest was being torn in two and the words didn’t want to come. He needed a clean break now before he started to care more than he already did. Best to break things off now before things went further. “I’m not going to expect you to still want to be friends.” That earned him a glare, “Okay, I know we won’t be friends after this and to be honest I think it’s best. Let’s be honest we both know this is the end of it. There will be no getting back together or seeing each other again.”


So that was it, he’d said it. She felt numb as she turned away from him and began to walk away. Her feet took her by Kagome’s car. The miko hadn’t come out yet, probably off with Hiei. Her vision blurred as she walked. The warmth of tears flowed down her cheeks as car drove by. Just like that he’d taken everything from her. There had been no emotion on his face, it hadn’t bothered him in the least. He’d just ended things and he’d done it as easy as discussing the weather. He’d lied to her, she didn’t mean anything to him. If she did then he couldn’t have walked away like that. Just out of the blue decided she no longer served a purpose. Whether it was due to him finding someone else or becoming bored with her. The reason didn’t matter, all that did was the fact that he didn’t love her.


Kagome felt like stomping her foot but that would have been childish. She wanted to scream at the man for being selfish and an ass. Hiei stood there with his arms crossed not giving an inch. What was so hard about putting on a tux and dressing up for one evening? She’d just made an ass out of herself by asking him to attend the prom with her. He’d just told her no like it was no big deal. She was going regardless and she wanted to go with him. What kind of boyfriend wouldn’t escort his girlfriend to the prom? Didn’t she mean enough for him to deal with it? “Please, just go with me, it might be fun.”


“Hn, don’t beg. It will not change my mind on the matter. I refuse to dress up to attend some affair. I hadn’t planned on going before this and won’t go now. Have someone else take you if you wish to go. You will only irritate me by bugging me about it.” Hiei shrugged seeing the hurt look in her eyes. This was part of who he was, she’d have to accept it. He wasn’t into going to fancy parties or attending school functions. He sure the hell wasn’t dressing up in some funny looking suit.


“Fine, I’m not going to beg you. I’m sure I can find someone to go with me.” Kagome huffed at how unreasonable he was being. It would be just for a few hours and it meant a lot to her. Like it would kill him to do it. She’d even pay for the damn tux, she just wanted him to attend it. It was a once in a lifetime event. No need for him to be such a stick-in-the-mud. But who could she get to go with her that she wouldn’t have to worry about getting the wrong idea?


She let him walk her out to the parking lot. The first thing she noticed was Kurama leaning against the car without Sango. Strange, since Sango hadn’t driven herself. Maybe the girl had ran to the bathroom or something. With how little time she had left who the hell still didn’t have a date? She frowned seeing Kurama hop in the car as soon as Hiei arrived. Had he already said his goodbyes to Sango? Probably so, now to find a date. Great, she’d be the only chick there without a boyfriend.


Anger filled her when he gave her a hurried kiss before jumping in the car with his cousin. What a creep! What was the hurry? Did Kurama have him on a leash? She flicked her bangs from her face and looked around for Sango. The girl needed to get her ass out here so she could go home and punch something. It’d make her feel better since she wouldn’t bring herself to hit Hiei at the moment. Her belongings were tossed into the backseat. “Where are you Sango?” The parking lot was almost empty except for a few people. She grimaced seeing Yusuke walking towards his truck. “Bingo!”


What the hell, she had nothing to lose. Hiei had already made his position clear. He’d said to find someone else to go with her, who better than his best friend. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about him trying to make a move on her. That in mind she called out to him. The toushin stopped in his tracks and waited for her to join him. “Hey, got a question for you. Do you have a date for the prom yet?” Please say no, she didn’t want to stag it. It’d be terrible, she wanted a date. Call her superficial but she wanted to stroll in on the arm of a nice looking male.


“No, why? Got some hot friend that needs a date?” Yusuke shrugged at the offer. He wasn’t even sure if he was going to go. The last thing he wanted to do was dress up and watch his friends dance all night long. There might be a girl out there that would gladly spend the evening with him but he just wasn’t sure he could do it. Kurama had been discussing renting a limo for him and Sango, that was too much for him.


“Great, think I could convince you to go with me?” She saw the shock on his face. Okay, it looked more like horror but she wasn’t picky. As long as he showed up and sat at the table with her. They didn’t even have to dance together, just be seen together. “Before you ask, Hiei isn’t going. He told me to find someone else to go with so how about it? You don’t have to dance with me if you don’t want to. I’ll pay for your tux or whatever it takes. But don’t make me go alone, please.”


Botan felt the soft caress of the fingers trying to calm her anger. She gave her best smile to the man but nothing he could do would make things better. Only two couples were in the limo, one was missing. Naraku had said that Kurama was driving with his date. His damn date, while Sango sat home missing out on their prom. She wanted to kill the damn fox and she wasn’t alone in the sentiment. Even Yusuke had been disturbed to hear that the two had ended things. She and Kagome knew better, HE had ended things. It hadn’t been mutual at all. If it were then their friend wouldn’t be crying all the time. Neither person would give them an answer as to what had gone wrong.


Kagome shifted in the seat feeling constricted in the material. She prayed she didn’t barf on the expensive interior of the car. Her nerves were all hectic. So many emotions raging from anger, disappointment, nervousness and happiness. This was her prom but it didn’t feel right. Sango was supposed to be there with them. Yusuke reached over to tug at a lock of hair getting her attention. She tried to smile but it came out as a frown. The toushin had shown up in a rented tux looking rather handsome. Her dress was blue and made of satin. The top was strapless that was snug in the bodice, with loose flowing skirts. Botan’s was black with tiny spaghetti straps and a deep bust line. The skirts flowed but with less material to sway. Both had worked together to get their hair up and curled. She was dressed the part but the excitement of the moment was missing.


“So which one of you girls are nominated for the queen?” Naraku put a hand on his date’s leg. It’d been years since he’d gone to his own prom. He’d almost turned the invitation down, now he was glad he’d come. It’d be fun to attend the function, even if he was dating someone younger than himself. If the fox’s bad timing ruined his evening then he’d kick the man’s ass himself. Both females were down about their friend missing the event. They were close and it was only expected that they’d want to attend together after planning it.


“All three of us and Yukina actually.” Kagome scowled once more. They should all be together but Sango wouldn’t bulge. She’d locked herself in the damn room again. She’d been doing it since the day the fox had done the most stupid thing Kagome had ever seen. They’d been happy together so why end it? Stupid fucker probably found someone else he wanted to fuck. She was starting to hate that bastard. The lights were coming into view, it was already in full swing. There were a little late but they’d been trying to get Sango to change her mind about coming.


“Don’t make that face or you’ll make me regret coming with you.” Yusuke grabbed her hand. There was nothing they could do. Kurama had made his bed he’d have to lie in it. It was the fox that would be the one missing out on something good. He was glad he’d come though, she looked beautiful. It also meant Hiei was missing out on something even if it were only for one evening. Kagome looked stunning in the dress. It wasn’t as provocative as Botan’s but looked great on the miko. It went down to her ankles hiding all hint of leg but it was fitting with the hairstyle. For that he’d wear a penguin suit any day of the week.


“At this rate I sincerely hope someone spikes the punch.” Botan took the hand being offered to her as the limo pulled to a stop in front of the gymnasium. Naraku helped her out into the humid night air. They better have the air on or she’d be sweating her ass off. The only thing exposed was some cleavage, her back and her arms. The dress was longer than anything she normally would wear. Nothing she owned went down to her ankles. The car pulled off to wait as they made their way inside the double doors. The gym was decked out to the max, all thanks to the prom committee setting it up. It didn’t even look like the old gym but an expensive and grand ballroom. “I say we outdid ourselves.”


“Shame Sango won’t be here to enjoy it.” Kagome mumbled seeing the fox already sitting at a table with some cheap looking blonde. If the bitch leaned over any more then her tits would pop out. He’d dumped her friend for that! Yusuke’s hand gripped her elbow propelling her to a clear table. Kurama was sitting with Yukina and Kuwabara since the tables sat only four. Good, she didn’t want to sit with him. She’d be tempted to leap over the damn thing and choke him. Soft music played and a few couples were already slow dancing.


“Don’t beat his ass just yet, he might realize how stupid he is being soon. No need to kill him without giving him a chance to redeem himself.” Yusuke whispered in the miko’s ear and lead her to a seat. They were late by a good bit it seemed. The music was growing louder as more couples got up to dance. Would she feel up to dancing soon? While dancing he might get a chance to hold her close, it’d be his only chance of knowing what she felt like in his arms. His brother was making short work of Botan’s displeasure by showering the girl with compliments while necking. He didn’t have that option. If he went for Kagome’s neck he might find himself purified or missing a vital part of his anatomy.


“How about I go get us some punch?” Yusuke stood seeing the fox heading towards the refreshment table. Kagome agreed as long as it wasn’t spiked. Since when had the girl cared about drinking? It felt strange walking in the tux but he made his way through the crowd over to his friend. The decorations were everywhere bringing the place to life. He’d like to know how they got the surround sound set up. “Hey man, how’s it going?” The question was really stupid, he could see the lines under the man’s eyes. No emotions showed on the fox’s face but he’d seen the glimpse of emotion in the green eyes.


“Things are fine, I see you came after all.” Kurama chanced a glance over at the table. Two sets of eyes bore holes into him. He could feel their anger from here. Where was Sango? Why wasn’t she sitting with her friends? Was what Kuzuma said true? Yukina had said that the girl wasn’t coming. As much as he was trying to avoid her he didn’t want her to miss out on tonight. He’d listened to how she’d helped make it happen. What more could he do? He’d tried to keep his distance knowing it was for the best. The best way to make a clean break is to do just that. No matter how the urge to see her drove him he’d resist it.


“Yep, glad I did too.” He grabbed two cups and sniffed to make sure it hadn’t been tainted yet. He hadn’t thought so with the teacher being the one to serve them. The woman gave him a hard look and he grinned. This woman had to remember his brother, nice. The lights dimmed as the principle got on the stage signaling the music to end. “Talk to you in a bit. Enjoy the evening.” He made his way over to the table noticing that the girls were deep in conversation.


Kagome took the drink he offered listening to the elderly man thanking those that participated in creating the atmosphere. They’d only been there for about thirty minutes by now and she was ready to go. All voices stopped as it was announced that it was time to do the crowning for the evening. Oh joy, it meant one of them would be dancing with another guy. She’d be willing it’d be Inuyasha that was crowned king. He’d gotten the most votes during the nominations. It was almost a certainty that he’d win it. Thinking of that she couldn’t spot the hanyou anywhere. “Hey, do you see Inuyasha anywhere?”


“No, now that you’ve mentioned it. He said he was coming even though he didn’t have a date. Wonder where he is since he’s probably going to be king. Huh, he might be in the shitter.” Botan took the drink placed in front of Yusuke. Dammit, it hadn’t been spiked. She heard the man clear his throat then announce that the queen would come first. The lights dimmed even lower as he announced the nominations. An affectionate squeeze on her knee as her name was called out. It was between her, Yukina, Kagome and Sango. Well one of them wasn’t even here, it’d be fucked up if she won.


“Without further ado I present to you your queen, Sango....” Cheers went up as the name was announced. He frowned hearing the clapping and calling as the spot light flickered across the room. He couldn’t even hear himself think in this room. Where the hell was the girl? Murmurs went up as the seconds ticked by and she was still missing. “Well, don’t that beat all seems our queen is missing. How do we call this one?”


“SHE’S HERE!” Inuyasha called over the low whispering as they walked into the double doors. The light moved over the floor to land on them. He turned his head to look at the girl squeezing his arm. She could do this, she had it in her. It had taken him haunting her all day and evening to get her to come. He’d been on his way to pick her up and she had still refused to come. He’d been pissed to show up at her door and she was wearing a night gown. Kagome and Botan had already left but he wasn’t going to leave without her. No surprise she’d been ready to go ten minutes later and had come out stunning. The strapless dress hugged her curves provocatively. The deep green satin had been made especially from her, flowing over her hips to end mid-thigh. Lace accented the skirt hanging over the edges to finish the look. Her long hair was pulled up in a matching bow, leaving a few strands curled to frame her face. The heels added to the length of slim legs that stood out along with the slender neck. “Come on, you owe me remember.”


“Yeah, I do.” Sango felt the flush rise in her cheeks but let herself be led towards the stage. The way parted for them. She kept her gaze forward to the man waiting on the stage. Clawed hands held onto her until she reached the steps. She could do this, she wanted to do this. She wouldn’t cry either. Every minute had been filled with tears since she felt her world end. Inuyasha was right, everything he said was true. She couldn’t let this destroy her. She’d worked too hard to help make this night happen. If the one she loved didn’t want to share it with her she had others that did. Her friends were here, she owed it to herself and them to attend. If the hanyou hadn’t convinced her to come she would have regretted it the rest of her life. She was smiling as a crown was placed upon her head.


“Now, for our king. I don’t think I even need to say it. The vote came in at over ninety-two percent. Might as well come up here with your date Inuyasha.” The principle grinned as the hanyou took the last few steps to join the girl. They looked real good together, a nice pair. The hanyou had to bend his head in order for the crown to be placed on his head right between the two ears. “Now as tradition the king and queen will lead the next dance.”


Sango placed her hand in the outstretched palm. A true smile graced her face as he led her back down the steps and onto the dance floor. She wasn’t sure if Kurama was here but right now it didn’t matter. Her friends were here and she wasn’t alone. She’d fallen in love with the wrong guy but she didn’t regret it. Fangs peeked out of the grin Inuyasha was giving her. They’d barely made it in time. He’d almost missed out on prom to make sure she went as well. He was a great friend and she was more than happy to share the dance with him. She placed a hand on his shoulder as the lights dimmed and the spotlight went on them. “Thank you.”


“You’re welcome. By the way, in case I haven’t told you, you look beautiful. Kind of makes me wonder why I dated Kagome instead of you.” Inuyasha felt all eyes on them as the music began. He almost grimaced as Celine Dion’s ‘If You Asked Me To’ came on. Why did they have to always play a slow song? A palm rested on her waist as they began to move. Out of instinct his hand slid around to cup her lower back bringing her closer against him.


“Cause I would have killed you.” She laughed as he took the hands that were together and placed them between their chests bringing her closer. It was nice to get lost in the dance as he held her close. It took holding onto his shoulder as he practically pressed against her. He was a damn good slow dancer even if he were annoying on most occasions. As long as he didn’t try to kiss her. Amber eyes caught brown as a silent understanding passed between them. She’d lost her heart in the last few months but she’d also gained a wonderful friend.


“I think I’m going to cry,” Kagome felt the sting of tears as the two smiled at each other. Sango looked wonderful. Somehow Inuyasha had gotten her to come. The music wasn’t helping either, nor did the unpredictable emotions she seemed to have these days. It made her feel even better when she glanced over to the other table to see the jealousy and anger on the fox’s face. Good, he should feel bad. He could have been Sango’s date but he’d decided to bring the blonde instead, his loss. “Feel up to dancing Yusuke?”


“Sure,” Yusuke got out of the seat as the slow music came to an end to be replaced by something more upbeat. Other couples were joining the pair on the floor. He wasn’t the best dancer but he’d try. Botan was also dragging his brother onto the floor. Now this he had to see. Kagome took the lead and began to dance leaving him to fall in with the steps. Damn if he stepped on her feet he’d go crawl under the table. Laughter rang out behind him from Botan as his brother bumped into another female. Hell, he wasn’t the worst dancer on the floor or the most stupid looking. Kuzuma had joined with Yukina doing some funky version of moon walking.


Kagome giggled as the toushin dipped and almost stumbled back. She managed to grab his arm in time from embarrassing them both. “Oh my, you suck!” That earned her a cocky grin but it warmed her heart. Sango waved to her from several feet away looking happy for the time being. She turned to see if the fox could see just how much her friend was enjoying herself without him. Blue eyes widened to see the red head heading towards the double doors leaving behind a very pissed off looking blonde. She’d have to personally thank Inuyasha later. An arm suddenly went around her waist drawing her attention back to the man in front of her. For tonight she wouldn’t worry or care about tomorrow.

Next Chapter: Pre-grad party, Botan takes things further and the truth is overheard... Please read and review.