This is an AU that takes place in modern Tokyo. Inuyasha and everyone else is human. Hope you enjoy!
Edited: 7/8/2011
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Dashed Hopes
Chapter One: First Impressions
Sakura Hide-Away, or the SHA as the employees preferred to call it, was a building where abused women and children could find safety. This time, this woman, was no different.
Sango Taijai's shift was nearly over when Kagome Higurashi first arrived. The brunette had just licked the tip of her finger and flipped a page over, her warm brown eyes scanning a mildly interesting article in her magazine, when the small bell hung over the entrance rang. Immediately, she swung her feet down from the top of the front desk and dropped her magazine, scrambling to hide the fact that she had been anything less than the perfect employee. Ready to greet the newcomer, Sango schooled her face into a gently neutral expression. Like all the others, the young woman walking through the doorway looked nervous.
Sango allowed a welcoming smile to overtake her lips in an attempt to quell the younger girl's nerves.
She took in the sight with practiced eyes; Sango had been working at the SHA for the last four years, since she'd volunteered at only age eighteen. In that time, she had learned how to note details quickly and efficiently, seeing what most couldn't at first glance. The woman just entering was petite with wavy black hair that fell to mid-back. It was currently pulled into a loose, low ponytail at the nape of her neck. Heavy black bangs covered her forehead since the woman had her face angled towards the ground. She wore nice clothes: an emerald green pencil skirt and an expensive white blouse. Business clothes. As the woman lifted her head, she revealed stormy blue-gray eyes and...
...A large cut at her temple, the bloody gash stark against her pale skin.
The woman couldn't have been more than twenty or twenty-one years old, Sango figured, still cataloguing what information she could in what little time she had. Clinging tightly to her right arm was a pre-teen boy, probably eleven or so. He had deep, chocolate brown eyes filled with nothing but fear and sorrow. Wrapped in the girl's left arm was a young, redheaded boy with blue-green eyes alight with curiosity.
"Excuse me, we need a place to stay for the night," the young woman stated quietly but politely.
Sango nodded in understanding. "Then you found the right place. We don't want to pry, but we need to know a few things first," she started, using the standard employee line and poising a pen over a notebook lying on the desk. The woman flinched as if she'd been struck. Letting anyone know anything had not been the plan. Sango placed her hands out in front of her like a makeshift shield. Frantically, she tried to explain. "Just your first names and your relationship to the boys. Nothing else, I swear."
The blue-eyed woman hesitated, her grip on the boys tightening. "My name's Kagome. This is my younger brother, Souta, and my adopted son, Shippou. Anything else?" she questioned with a delicately arched eyebrow, her mouth set in a thin line. She looked as if she were bracing herself for a quick escape.
"No, that's it. Please, come with me," Sango ordered gently. She stood and paused by the edge of her desk, waiting for Kagome to make the choice. For a moment, the girl looked like she was hovering between the idea of running and following, but, with one last look at the trembling boys holding onto her, she squared her shoulders and stepped to Sango's side. Sango's smile broadened. Just something about Kagome made her like her. Even though she had obviously been harmed by someone—why else would she be here?— she looked less hysterical and stronger than many of the others who visited the SHA. Whenever a woman like that made it to the shelter, Sango felt hope knowing that not everyone only played the victim.
The brunette led the way to a long hallway lined with doors. Stopping at the room at the very end, she offered: "I'm Sango."
Kagome's lips stretched into a stiff but sincere smile. "Nice to meet you, Sango."
Souta started at the sound of his sister's voice. He stared up at her profile, his eyes shadowed. Maybe she'd make it through this after all, he wondered when he noticed her smile. He really didn't want the responsibility of taking care of his older sister. He pulled a disgusted face at the thought, but the girls didn't seem to notice.
"I'm sorry to say that there's only one bed per room; unless, of course, you want to split up," Sango informed apologetically.
Kagome's pale face turned impossibly whiter. "No, no, this is perfect! I'd rather stay near them. Plus, it wouldn't be fair to take up more room than we need to."
Sango definitely liked this girl, but she had to hold back an incredulous laugh. The girl had been beaten and run out of her home, along with her son and brother, and she was worried about taking up too much room at a shelter? Selfless to a fault, Sango predicted. Reminding herself that she was working, she took on a more distant persona once again. "That's fine. You can come to the main room in half an hour to pick up some dinner."
Something about what she'd said seemed to surprise the other girl. "What time is it?" Kagome demanded, flustered and grabbing Sango by the shoulder to stop the older woman when she started to walk away. Mentally, Kagome ticked off the hours. She had left with the boys just after noon. As warped as time felt at the moment, she couldn't figure out how it was already dinner time.
Sango glanced quickly at her watch. "It's a quarter to seven."
"Oh," Kagome gasped, clearly surprised.
Sango looked at her in bemusement as she patiently pried Kagome's hand off, but didn't question the girl any further. "Okay, I'll be right outside at the desk if you need me," she reminded as she walked back out the doorway of the small room and back into the hall. As she got further away, something tickled the back of her mind, wanting attention. Frustrated, she shuffled through her thoughts, searching for the thing she'd forgotten. Snapping her fingers, she turned on her heel and darted back to Kagome's room. "Wait!" she said, popping her head back in. "Your cut!"
"What cut?" Kagome reached up automatically to touch her forehead. Bringing her hand down she rubbed her forefinger and thumb together to feel the sticky liquid coating her fingertips. "I didn't realize he'd hit me that hard," she murmured, more surprised that the wound was still bleeding than that it was there in the first place.
Sango frowned. The woman obviously had been so wrapped up in the boys' safety that she'd forgotten about her own. Sighing, Sango left, only to return quickly with a medical case in tow. She reached up, placed her hands on Kagome's shoulders, and pushed down until the girl sat on the edge of the bed. The shelter employee expertly cleaned the wound out with peroxide and put a fresh bandage on. At least now it wouldn't fester and get infected.
The boys hadn't spoken a word since they'd arrived. Shippou and Souta curled up next to each other on the bed, staring with half-lidded eyes at Kagome. She smoothed down their hair and ran a hand soothingly across each of their foreheads once her cut had been tended to, silently thankful that they hadn't been hurt like she had been.
"I..." Sango started off embarrassedly, feeling as if she was intruding on a moment. "I don't want to be offensive, but you don't look very comfortable." She nodded towards Kagome's skirt, blouse, and high heels. "Would you mind if I brought you something to change into? I always bring some clothes with me in case one of the girls here needs something."
Kagome frowned at her sore, blistered feet. She tried to wriggle her toes, but they were numb and stiff. "Thanks. That'd be great."
"Okay, hang on." Sango crept out of the room to find her things. Around the corner, she approached a large closet. Inside, next to her jacket and purse, was a large bag full of clothes of varying sizes, ostly women's clothes, but some kids'. Sango's lifted the bag into her arms and returned to Kagome's room, thanking the fact that her father had been a successful businessman. She had a lot of spending money to use on shopping for items for the women at the shelter. She wanted to do as much for them as she could.
Sango dumped the bag onto the bed next to Kagome and the boys. Diving into it, she pulled out several things. "I'm sorry I don't have a bigger choice. Hopefully you can find something to fit you."
It had been a long time since Kagome had encountered someone so helpful and nice. A small part of her flared to life, fueled by the idea of feeling something other than fear and worry for once. She suppressed the urge give Sango a hug for being so thoughtful, knowing that the woman was doing all this because it was part of her job. She sifted through the pile of clothing and pulled out some loose fitting clothes and more comfortable shoes. "Oh, this is great, thanks."
"Do you want a jacket?" Sango asked, pulling out a couple as she did.
"No, I'm fine." Kagome shook her head. "Why? It's not cold."
Sango shrugged uncomfortably. "It's just... most of the women here don't like to wear clothing that shows a lot of their skin. I just thought you might, too."
Kagome repeated her earlier action of shaking her head. "No. It doesn't bother me." She turned her head away and lowered her eyes, thinking about the other women in the shelter. Being abused had made them feel ugly or scared to be comfortable if it meant that it might attract another person's attention. Some might not even show their arms in fear of others seeing bruises and other signs of physical abuse. She swallowed hard and pushed her thoughts away. After shooing Sango and the boys out of the room, she changed into the new clothes.
"Let's go get some food into you guys," Sango suggested once Kagome came out of the room and shut the door behind her.
As if on cue, all three of their stomachs rumbled audibly. The blue-eyed girl nodded, embarrassed. "I think that might be a good idea." They hadn't eaten since that morning.
Sango smiled, mentally noting she had been doing that a lot lately, and led them across the building. It wasn't all that full, there being fewer women housed in the shelter than normal. Whether that was a good sign or a bad one, Sango wasn't sure. Scattered around the room, huddled figures chewed their food and kept their eyes turned away from everyone else. Kagome stopped in the doorway and shuddered, feeling the thick air press against her, almost as if it wanted to smother her with the depressed atmosphere.
Souta took Shippou by the hand and dragged him away to explore, not noticing the menacing feeling. Sango watched the two boys, whose voices she had yet to hear, run off before turning to their guardian. The corners of her mouth turned down in understanding. "It's not something you ever get used to," she said quietly, meaning the repressing atmosphere of the shelter. Kagome looked back at the brunette and the two shared a look that expressed a shared wish that this wasn't reality. And a friendship was born.
Within a few minutes, the two women had grabbed food and were sitting at a corner table, chatting about things in general. Relaxed now, Kagome was more open and friendly than she had seemed when she had first arrived. She sat cross-legged on the bench and talked around mouthfuls about how nice the weather had been lately. Sango smiled, inwardly marveling at what she had found herself doing. True, Sango was always nice and helpful, but this was the first time she had ever eaten with one of the women in the shelter. She'd been taught to be compassionate, but not to mix with the residents. Getting attached could prove painful. But with Kagome it felt safe.
It felt good.
Sango had been hanging out with her two best friends since she was a little girl, but they were both guys. Manly guys, not ones that would do girl talk or shopping or gossiping or anything else remotely feminine. Not that she didn't want them as her friends; she just hadn't had girl time for a long time.
Miroku Houshi climbed from the driver's seat of his black Lexus. His shaggy black hair, which was tied in a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck, swayed in the wind as his eyes scanned the front of the Sakura Hide-Away. He may have been a bit of a pervert, but he did have his gentleman-like qualities. Miroku would never lay a hand on any woman at the shelter; that was just wrong. In other words, he kept his 'wandering hands' inactive for any and all visits to the SHA.
If only Sango could get him to act that way everywhere.
Walking into the lunchroom, his eyes searched the tables for one of his best friends. He found it odd when he saw Sango eating lunch with a woman there. He found it even odder that Sango was talking and laughing in a way that she hadn't done with anyone other than her younger brother, Kohaku, for a long time. Not since a certain day the year before, that is.
Struggling to not show his surprise, Miroku approached and stood behind the girl who'd seemed to have befriended Sango so quickly; he waved and smiled at the brunette, who waved and smiled easily back at him.
"Hey, Miroku," Sango sang out happily, grin still firmly in place.
Miroku couldn't help but think that she looked even more beautiful when she smiled. "Hello, Sango," he replied, his smile curving his lips more noticeably than before.
Kagome looked over her shoulder and greeted the newcomer with a nod of her head. Sango had just finished her umpteenth story about her best friend Miroku and his lecherous ways. Predictably, at least for him, Miroku gaped when he saw Kagome turn around. She really was a beauty with those blue-gray eyes, but his attention only lingered on her for a few moments before ultimately returning to Sango.
Kagome smiled widely at this, already guessing at his feelings for her new friend... but then she frowned when a shocked look passed the young man's face. "What? Does no one smile around here or something?"
"No, Kagome, it just isn't that common," Sango explained. "This is Miroku," she nodded towards the man who was in his early twenties; actually only a year older than herself, which made him twenty-three.
Miroku grasped the hand that Kagome held out. "I'm Kagome," she greeted. "Nice to meet you, Miroku."
Miroku nodded. "You, too."
"Join us, won't you?" Kagome asked, all politeness once again.
He paused, considering his options. One look at Sango made his hand twitch, his fingers aching to grope her. Decision made, he sat down next to Kagome to help quell the lecherous urges coursing through his body. In a relaxed kind of way, he leaned his elbow against the table and turned toward the younger girl with an easy smile. Figuring he should probably strike up a conversation with her, his mouth opened, ready to comment on some neutral topic or another. Before any words could escape, however, they were interrupted.
"Mom!"A young green-eyed boy squealed as he landed in Kagome's lap. Miroku guessed he was roughly six years old, but exceptionally small for his age. Mom? He thought in a surprised sort of way. Kagome was barely twenty-one as far as he could tell. Teen pregnancy often went hand in hand with other issues like abusive relationships, he felt, although he did know that many such pregnancies had happy endings.
Shippou bounced excitedly in Kagome's lap; she glanced away from him and back at Miroku before laughing at the look on his face. "Adopted," she clarified simply.
"Souta found a candy machine! Can we have some money? Please?" Shippou cut her off from anything more she might have said.
Arching an eyebrow at her son, Kagome asked, "Do you remember what happened the last time you had chocolate?"
Shippou's bottom lip puckered out and his eyes grew round. After a second, his innocent look turned more sheepish when Kagome refused to yield, and he tried to negotiate instead. "How about I don't get a chocolate bar and get a bag of some other kind of candy or something?"
Kagome could never say no to those big, green eyes. Reaching into a pocket, she grabbed her wallet with a sigh of defeat, happy she'd remembered to transfer it over from her last outfit. She placed a few bills in Shippou's hand, which immediately fisted around them. Souta arrived a few seconds later and eyed his triumphant nephew. "Does some of that go to me?" he asked, turning towards his sister.
"Of course, Souta," Kagome replied in a tone that implied he was silly for even asking. Souta stuck his tongue out at her and tried to run away when Kagome jumped up. She grabbed him and tickled his sides mercilessly.
"Ok, ok, I give!" he shouted before running away with Shippou.
"Little brothers," Kagome muttered as she sat back down. She was greeted by two grins. "What?"
"Nothing. Just that that's the most laughter I've heard around here for awhile," Sango chuckled.
Miroku nodded in agreement.
Kagome shrugged before taking a sip through the straw sticking out of her milk carton.
Rapping his knuckles against the table top, Miroku made a decision. He looked towards Sango with pleading eyes, waiting until her attention was drawn to him. She could tell he wanted something. Once Kagome was turned away, she mouthed, 'What?'
'The parade,' was his reply.
'What about it?'
'Kagome...?' Miroku asked hopefully, tilting his head in the newcomer's direction.
Sango blinked back at him, working their silent conversation over in her mind. Miroku wanted Kagome to come to the parade with them? As soon as she realized that that was what he was asking, she bit her lip and heaved a sigh. Would Kagome think they were being too forward? They had just met, after all. In fact, beyond first names, they barely knew anything about each other. Not to mention it would probably be frowned upon if she, an employee, took one of women from the shelter out to a parade. On the other hand, she and Kagome had felt, if not an instant connection, at least a very quick and honest connection with one another. Plus, she was so different from the other abused girls. Taking a deep breath, she decided to risk it. "Hey, Kagome?"
Kagome looked up from the final crumbs of her meal. "Hm?" she asked, crumpling up her milk carton and setting it on her tray.
"Would you like to go to the Night Parade with Miroku and me tonight? Souta and Shippou would have so much fun!"
A few seconds passed before blue eyes sparkled. "We'd love to! We love parades," Kagome agreed, feeling all the stress from the beginning of the day melt away.
Sango's expression brightened. "Great!"
Glancing at his watch, Miroku announced, "It starts in an hour. We should probably get a move on if we want good spots... if that's even still possible."
Kagome nodded in understanding and lifted herself from her seat and went in search of her boys. Sango and Miroku could hear the shouts all the way back at their table. Chuckling, they both grinned, happy to find a new friend.
Next Chapter: Near Accident