OoO Sweet, Sweet Kisses OoO

Inuyasha quickly jumped from tree to tree, his mind racing and his cheeks ablaze as he tried to slow his racing heart. His mind was one big jumbled mess. He could not believe what he'd heard! He knew that Kagome had special feelings for everyone in their group, but he had no idea that she'd go that far with them! Could he possibly be mistaken? He was so confused! He hadn't seen anything incriminating, but what he'd heard... Well, let's just say it was very disturbing.

Could things like that really be normal? And if so, why hadn't he been informed about it?

Stopping for the briefest of moments, he again tried to collect his thoughts. His mind was blown away by what he'd heard, but more than that, he felt the all too familiar pinch of jealousy rearing its ugly head from deep within the pit of his stomach. More than that, the possessiveness of the situation was enough to eat him alive. Not only was it unthinkable, it wasn't fair! Why hadn't Kagome given him a-!

He shook his head, his blush coming back at full force again at wanting what they others had gotten to be given to him, too. He sighed in frustration, and he saw his breath hit the air before vanishing.

It was a little cold out, being the middle of February, and there was still a thin sheet of snow on the ground. Soon it would melt. For now, though, he was just happy to have the coldness there to clear his mind. Closing his eyes and crossing his arms, he tried to make heads and tails of what he'd learned about his friends earlier today, his eye twitching with the effort of it all.

FLASHBACK

Inuyasha had been on his way back to camp. Kagome had just come back from a particularly long stay in her world, and when she'd finally arrived, he'd been unable to stand being near her. For some unfathomable reason, she'd put on waterfalls of that sickening sweet perfume that she knew he hated. He'd only had a moment to notice that she had a decently sized box with her before he uttered a disgusted "Ugh!" and jumped away, not even bothering to help her out of the well.

Obviously, she hadn't wanted him to know what was in the box, or even have him ask questions about it, and her technique had worked.

More than slightly miffed at the action, Inuyasha decided to steer clear of her for a while until she decided to bath, not noticing the satisfied smirk coming from Kagome's lips as she watched his retreat.

He'd followed her downwind, being sure to stay out of sight, his curiosity getting the better of him. She walked calmly back toward Kaede's where the others waited, and it didn't escape his attention that she had a goofy grin on her face the entire time. She was so happy she even began humming a random tune.

Now that he could think clearly without the perfume permeating his brain, he saw that she wasn't wearing her signature school uniform. She was wearing a red and pink jacket top, ridiculously covered in hearts, and a pair of light blue jeans. Her hair was also up and there was a fire hydrant red heart painted on her left cheek with the words 'I love ?' in the middle. All in all, she looked great, and Inuyasha would have loved nothing more than to jump down and at the very least walk beside her; hold her hand, if possible, and question her about who it was, exactly, that she loved.

As soon as Shippo saw her, he jumped up and ran for her, straight into her hastily emptied arms and trying not to gag at the smell emanating from her wrists, neck, and chest.

The others quickly surrounded her as well, save for Kilala who opted to watch at a safe enough distance away.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was too far away to hear what any of them were saying, but he saw Kagome whisper something in Shippo's ear before putting him down and pointing to the large box at her feet, talking to everyone else in what appeared to be an excited manner.

Thanks to his hybrid eyes, he was able to determine that whatever she was saying was making almost everyone happy. Miroku's face couldn't seem to hold his large, lascivious grin as he shot a determined look at Sango, who quickly looked away and blushed, though smiling secretly to herself. Kaede gave a knowing smile of her own, and Kagome clapped her hands in excitement.

He watched with jealousy as all of them - except Shippo, for some odd reason - began walking to the nearby hot spring, Miroku being the one to carry the large and mysterious box as if his very life depended on it, trying to keep up with Sango, who was trying to get away from Miroku.

Inuyasha had been about ready to jump out and talk to Shippo about what the hell was going when he saw Shippo bite his lip, do a queer, nervous little dance, and then smirk sadistically before bounding after Kagome and the others. He all but had fire in his little green eyes.

By this point, Inuyasha was beyond confused. Just what exactly was going on? What was in the big box? Why wasn't he invited? What was Kagome planning? Why wasn't he invited? Why were they all so damn happy? And most importantly... WHY WASN'T HE INVITED? It irked him to no end that he was the odd one out, because as far as he knew, there was absolutely nothing special about today!

He growled in more anger than frustration and bound after them once he was sure that they'd more than likely made it to the springs.

What happened next, he'd never be able to forget - or later, live down - once all was said and done.

From the moment he arrived at the springs, everything seemed to flow by as if he were in a dream. It was warm there, and about three feet out from the rocky shore, the ground was visible. Steam was everywhere, and it provided a nice cover. However, this time he wanted to be sure he was going to be able to hear what they were saying, and so stayed crouched low from behind a bush and didn't dare look out for fear of being seen. He began listening in the middle of the conversation.

"-never showed up, Kagome." It was Shippo.

"Are you sure?" Kagome sounded disappointed, and Inuyasha almost growled in approval. "You didn't wait very long; I really wanted all of us to be here for this..."

"Well, that's his fault for being so slow!" Shippo replied.

Kaede chuckled. "I think your plan worked too well, Child. Inuyasha's nose could not take the strong scent of your skin."

"Yeah, but he's weak," Shippo added snidely, and Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to dash over and beat the little brat senseless. "I could stand your scent better than he could!"

He heard Kagome harrumph and could visualize the frown on her face as she said, "Yeah, but he was supposed to at least come here with all of us." She paused. "You don't think he's listening right now, do you?"

"I'd probably be able to sense him, Kagome." There was Sango.

"Me too. Can we begin now?" That was most definitely Miroku, and he sounded very excited.

Inuyasha remembered the strange, lecherous looks on his face and again wondered just what exactly this meeting was all about. This meeting that was supposed to include him, but didn't. It then struck him that since he was supposed to be a part of...whatever this was that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if he just jumped out and revealed himself right now.

And yet, something told him to stay down.

Kagome sighed in an overly exaggerated way. "Well, I guess..."

"So what exactly is this day of the St. Valentine?" Kaede questioned, letting the unique name roll on her tongue.

"Ok!" Kagome began. She sounded really animated. "Nobody really knows who St. Valentine is, but in my time, the month of February is known as the month of romance. To put it simply, February 14th is the one day of the year that you show your love and appreciation to those you care about. It doesn't matter if it's your parents, siblings, pets or distant relatives. The point is to be kind and show you care." There was a short pause. "Which doesn't make sense; you should appreciate and show your love every day."

"Yes, and you mentioned something about kissing?" Damn Miroku again!

...

Wait, kissing? Inuyasha's interest was now caught, hook, line and sinker.

"Let her finish!" Sango heatedly interjected, and Inuyasha smirked.

"Actually, that's pretty much it, and so without further ado...!" Kagome sounded like she was trying to sell rotten fish at a market as she tried making her voice as enticing as possible, and Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin when she finished with a loud, "I'd like to give you all a kiss!"

There was a huge, awkward silence, and Inuyasha was floored. Just what the hell was going on in that bubble-headed head of hers now?

Kagome began laughing maniacally, most probably at their expressions, and the others followed with nervous giggles of their own.

To break the ice, Shippo said, "I'd like a kiss from you, Kagome!" Well, that made sense. He always got kisses from Kagome, whether it's on the cheek or on top of his head.

"Aww, thanks Shippo! Here you go!"

There was another pause, shorter this time, as Inuyasha was sure she was giving Shippo his kiss, and then he heard a collective sigh and one disappointed moan from the others.

"Kagome, I think I'd like a kiss now, too," Sango said, and Inuyasha gulped. What did Sango want Kagome to do?

"Of course, Sango. I hope you like it."

"Hey, where's my kiss, Kagome?" Was that Miroku asking Kagome for a kiss with a husky tone to his voice? If so, he was a dead man, and besides, there was no say Kagome would ever...

"Oh, it's right here, Miroku," Kagome lulled just as huskily, maybe even a little sexily, and they both broke into fits of giggling.

Wait just a damn minute here! What was happening? Had they all gone mad? Inuyasha couldn't decide if he wanted to stand up and demand an explanation, beat the living pulp out of Miroku, or put Kagome into the insane asylum, after forcing her to give him a kiss as well!

"Kagome, I want another kiss, please!" Shippo giggled, and apparently, once he received his kiss, he went over to Kaede and said, "Here you go, Kaede! You look like you could use a kiss as well!"

Kaede laughed. "Why thank you, Lad. I think I should fancy a kiss from Kagome, now."

"Why, come here, Kaede! I'd love to give you a kiss!"

"Oh, wait, Kaede; let me give you a kiss before you get one from Kagome!" Sango said quickly.

"But not before I give you a big one myself, Sango-love!" Miroku said, and Inuyasha was positive that Sango would either smack him or tell him no.

However, he was astounded when he heard her tentatively - but happily - respond, "Thanks, Miroku, and here's one for you."

By now, each one of them was laughing, as if there was some inside joke that Inuyasha just couldn't understand. He was about ready to stand up when he heard Shippo, with a slight drunken lisp, say, "Hey, Miroku! How's about you and me give each other a kiss?"

How disgusting!

"You bet! Come here, Shippo! Show me the love!" Inuyasha was going to be sick, and he got up to run away.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get away fast enough.

"Miroku, you haven't kissed me yet," Kaede said, her voice deeper than normal and trying to be seductive.

He was almost out of ear shot, but still clearly heard Miroku's answer. "Oh, Kaede! You're gonna love it! Get ready, because here I come!"

END OF FLASHBACK

He shuddered at the recent memory. He just was unable to fathom the scenario; it was just so crazy! Kissing so many people who'd kissed others? Wasn't that supposed to be a private, personal choice? Since when did it become a frivolous activity to share between friends?

Inuyasha just couldn't understand. He couldn't stand how confused he was, but more than that, the jealousy was almost too much to bear, and he almost hurt. Not only had Kagome kissed everyone except him, but he felt unloved. This was the month of romance, and here he was romance-less!

Well, he supposed that's what he got for always being so damn indecisive whenever the subject of Kikyo and Kagome came up...

He growled, punched a tree, and then stopped. It was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head, and he got the most ingenious idea he'd had to date. Yeah, yeah! That's what he'd do! It was so simple and straight forward. He now knew what he had to do, and jumped up into the trees, heading back in the direction from whence he'd come.

ELSEWHERE...

"Do you want the last kiss, Shippo?" Kagome asked.

"No thanks, Kagome; I'm stuffed! I think I have a bellyache..."

"I think I quite like this Valentine's Day, Kagome, though I suppose it's not too good for one's health, especially when one is as old as me," Kaede commented.

"Yeah, that's pretty much the only drawback to the holiday, but I figured that we all could use the break. I only wish Inuyasha had been here..." Kagome looked quite forlorn.

"Aww, don't worry, Kagome. I'm sure you'll see him before the day ends, and you've got one last kiss with you; save it and give it to him later!" Sango suggested, always looking for an opportunity to get the two of them together.

Kagome giggled. "Thanks, Sango. I will."

Right at that moment, Inuyasha jumped down, landing right in front of Kagome.

Smiling, eagerly surprised and happy, Kagome began, "Inuya-!" She wasn't able to finish because Inuyasha had pressed his lips to hers in a hungry, ravishing kiss.

His lips met hers, and it was sweet, literally. The chocolate residue on Kagome's lips went to Inuyasha's sensitive senses, and he only vaguely wondered why she'd been eating chocolate before feeling his heart skip two beats when Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. Wanting to taste her, he quickly flicked his tongue on her lower lip and felt her jump before she squeaked. It was absolute bliss for both. Everything and everyone else seemed very far away; the only thing that mattered was that they were together, finally expressing just how much one meant to the other.

All good things must come to an end, however, and Inuyasha pulled away, keeping his hands where they were on her soft shoulders. He could feel her trembling, and he practically purred in contentment.

Suddenly, he was aware that everyone was gawking at him, or rather, what he'd done.

"What?" He asked. "What are you all glaring at? All I did was kiss her!"

"Uh, Inuyasha..." Sango began. Her eyes kept darting around to the others as if asking for a little assistance. She was grinning like the Cheshire cat, as if she knew something he didn't.

Miroku and Kaede had twin knowing grins on their faces, Shippo had gone into a comatose state of shock, and Kilala, who had been watching since the beginning, continued to do so with merriment and interest in her blood-red eyes.

Inuyasha was confused. Why were they so surprised? They just had a whole kissing party, and when he does it it's a bad thing? In any case, he didn't care; he'd kissed Kagome at last, and nothing could ruin his moment; in fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy.

He looked to Kagome, who had a soft, knowing smile playing at her lips, and he watched as the smile grew into a giddy grin as she bit her lip.

His eyes widened as he saw Kagome reach into her jacket pocket and pull out a dew drop shaped, tin foil wrapped piece of chocolate. His nose told him so, and he felt his stomach drop as if a lead weight had been tied to his organs.

"Thanks for the kiss, Inuyasha. Do you want one too? In my world, they're called Hershey Kisses."

His knees gave out with the realization of just how badly he'd misinterpreted the situation. He'd been so scared that he almost hadn't had the courage to do it, and now that he had, he felt as though he'd made a huge mistake. The sick, twisted laughter of his so-called friends met his fallen ears, and he felt Kagome gently touch his shoulder and whisper in his ear, "I love you, Inuyasha. Don't be ashamed."

With those words, he heard no malicious intent, only concern and compassion for him. He looked up and met her - ironically enough - chocolate-brown eyes, and it suddenly didn't matter that he was being laughed at. He knew his friends still cared about him, and now he knew that Kagome loved him, and that was all that mattered.

Standing back up, he took her in his arms again and felt his heart swell. Thank God for Valentine's Day, because without it, he never would have gotten up the courage to show his true feelings.

OoO

Yes, I know it's not Valentine's Day; however, I'm getting married in June and I met my soul mate around Valentine's Day, so there you go! Please review and check out my other stories! I suck at summaries, so don't go by them. Also be on the lookout for my re-introduction of 'Seeing Is Believing' and also 'Can't Change the Inevitable' if you're a fan! Thank you.