Summer Kiss

My skin was burning as if it were set on fire. I was being cooked alive in an oven set at one thousand degrees Fahrenheit. The packs of ice weren't much help in attempting to lower my body temperature. All of the ice was melting at a rapid pace into warm liquid and making the plastic packs all soggy and nauseating. I had a few of those vile ice packs on my exposed skin. Like the ice packs, all of the frozen drinks and snacks liquefied. Even worse, they stained the bottom of my backpack. I guess I was going to have to clean that up later.

"Jeez, it's so hot! I'm dying!" Inuyasha grumbled as he heaved an exasperated sigh. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand to remove the excess sweat.

Miroku gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Says the demon who can survive with a massive hole in his chest. Who knew that you'd die because of mere heat? Ironic, isn't it?" Everyone surrounding Miroku laughed along with him.

"Shut up, Miroku! You're not funny!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily, as he reached towards the nearest warm soft drink and took a big swig.

"Hey! Inuyasha, that's mine!" Shippo squealed in protest and dashed headfirst in Inuyasha's direction. His face met with the palm of Inuyasha's hand. "Hey! Stop it! Give it back!" Shippo's demands were muffled.

Inuyasha laughed mockingly, as he used his unoccupied hand to gulp down the last of Shippo's soft drink. "Feh. Pipe down, you little runt! You weren't gonna finish it anyway!" With the hand that grabbed hold of Shippo's face, Inuyasha shoved him away.

A river of tears began streaming down Shippo's face, as he bolted towards me. "Kagome, Kagome! Inuyasha's being mean again, and he finished all of my drink! I was thirsty, too!" He ran into my arms and dug his face in my shirt to wipe the tears away. How could I resist his vulnerable and innocent face? He was adorable, and something inside me wanted to obey his every bidding.

I glanced at Inuyasha. His face was set in an irritated scowl with his eyes closed, as he lounged in the shade of the colossal tree. No one else could take pleasure in the shade of the tree since Inuyasha kept it all for himself. What a greedy bastard.

"Inuyasha," I said in a singsong voice, "apologize to Shippo, now," I demanded, a threat apparent in my voice. Inuyasha's scowl deepened tenfold, as he gave out an aggravated "Feh". From the corner of my eye, I could see Shippo staring in Inuyasha's direction with a devious smile of triumph. "Apologize, Inuyasha!"

"No. The damn runt doesn't deserve an apology. If you ask me, I bet I did a huge favor for him. It's not like he was gonna finish it, anyway." Inuyasha's reasoning was unconvincing. With every excuse he uttered, I felt my blood boil. I loathed his childish disobedience the most. It was as if he wasn't seventeen-years-old.

"You're getting on my last nerve, Inuyasha. Now apologize before you regret it," I threatened, as I glared menacingly in his direction. If he was going to be an ass, then I was going to treat him like an ass.

"Oh, I'm so scared," he muttered sarcastically. That was it. He danced on my last nerve, and now I had no more tolerance for his stupidity. He noticed my glare, which was filled with pure annoyance. "Oh shit, you are not gonna-"

"SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY!" I ordered, as his face came in contact with the ground; each collision harder and deeper than the last. When I finished, I was out of breath, and Inuyasha was trapped in a ten-foot hole in the shape of his body. Shippo snickered, fully enjoying his sweet revenge on Inuyasha. "Now will you apologize, Inuyasha?" I questioned once more.

"I'm sorry, you little runt!" The ground muffled Inuyasha's apology, but I could still tell that he was pissed as hell by the tone of his voice. Oh well, he deserved it for hurting poor Shippo's feelings.

After the spell wore off, Inuyasha leapt out of the hole, and dashed towards Shippo, grabbing his throat. "I swear, one of these days when Kagome isn't around, I will kill you," Inuyasha warned while shaking Shippo frenziedly.

"Inuyasha, if you don't put Shippo down, I swear I will kill you," I retorted while glaring at Inuyasha with as much fury as I could muster. That bastard just never learns.

Immediately, Inuyasha put Shippo down and ran towards the shade of "his tree". I was pretty sure he didn't desire to have a repeat of what just occurred. Smart move.

Suddenly, I could feel the intense heat from the sun yet again. I was so concentrated on helping Shippo that I hadn't noticed how blistering it was. Now, it was getting to me. I needed to find a cold source of water before I was burned to death. "I think I'll go find some cold water to refill the empty soft drink containers and clean up the stains on my bag. I'll be back soon," I informed the rest of the group. I then got up, collected the empty bottles and my bag, put the bottles in my bag, and headed in a random direction in hope of finding a source of water.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Inuyasha's face and tone was serious. I didn't know if he just wanted the cold water to himself, or he wanted to make sure that no demons would attack me. I assumed it was my second notion and allowed him to search with me.

We walked through the shade of the thick forest, taking our time to enjoy the cool breeze. The forest was tranquil and I took pleasure in it fully. Thankfully, Inuyasha walked beside me with no complaints. He was silent, but I could feel his strong presence without having to acknowledge him. It was bizarre how I always knew that Inuyasha was somewhere watching me, making sure I was ok. Somehow, I always felt safe under his gaze and protection.

I felt the edges of the hole in my chest throb. My breathing became very shallow, as I tried to restrain my emotions.

"Are you ok, Kagome?" Inuyasha questioned concernedly.

I took a deep breath and nodded in response. "Don't worry, it's nothing. I was… just feeling a bit… claustrophobic. That's all," I lied through my teeth. To avoid any further questioning, I advanced ahead of him.

Why did I feel such pain when there was nothing left inside my chest? It was just an empty void that was left behind when Inuyasha tore my heart out of my chest and kept it for him to crush with brute force when necessary, whenever he was with Kikyo.

I could feel me eyes well up with tears, but I restrained myself from crying. Now was not the time.

It was time to admit defeat. Kikyo had his heart first, and nothing could change that. I would always end up second best, no matter how hard I tried to win over his love. I was the bane in between the pure love they shared for each other, but for some reason, I just couldn't accept it. Somewhere inside me, I still believed that I had a chance. Though slim, it was something.

A lone tear managed to slip past my restrain and run down my cheek. At that moment, I knew it was a mistake.

"Are you ok, Kagome? Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?" Inuyasha inquired, as he ran to my side to console me. He must have smelled the salt from my tear.

"Don't cry, Kagome. I'm sorry, really I am. For whatever reason, I'm sorry."

I couldn't help but smile at his admission of guilt. I really hadn't expected him to soothe me. I thought he'd yell at me for "causing him to feel guilty" again, as he would complain. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. Something got in my eye, but it's gone now," I lied yet again.

Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and twisted me around so I was facing him. His hands clutched my shoulders, as his amber eyes searched within mine. I felt myself melt before him. Not from the summer heat, but from the passionate heat that was building up within my body. I could spend forever like this; just gazing deeply into his eyes without having any worries. I loved him so much to the point where the agony of not having him was excruciating. The edges of the void in my chest throbbed yet again, causing me to flinch.

"I don't see anything that got stuck in your eye. You sure you're ok?" Inuyasha asked again to make sure that nothing was wrong with me.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I'm ok. Don't worry about it," I reassured him and removed his hands from my shoulders. Just for a second, I felt the warmth of his calloused palms. Nonchalantly, I began backing away from him until my ankle came in contact with a protruding tree root. I gasped, and the back my head was about to collide with the solid ground.

Inuyasha grasped my arm and pulled me into him with one swift movement. Before I knew it, I found myself breathing heavily on his chest with my arms wrapped around his neck tightly. His arms enveloped my waist slowly, almost reluctantly. After the shock wore off, the embarrassment kicked in. The blood rushed to my face, as I pushed myself away.

I laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of my neck. To avoid his gaze, I stared at the ground. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going. I could be such a klutz sometimes." I snuck a peek at his face through the cracks in my bangs. He was looking away, his face a bright red. Inuyasha was blushing…

"It's ok, I guess. You're all right now, and that's what matters most."

His bold statement made my blush deepen tenfold. I felt like my head was going to burst like a balloon from all the heat. "Ok," I whispered shyly, as I continued walking in search of a source of cold water.

With every step, Inuyasha was one step behind me. The silence between us was awkward, as if there was nothing in the world to talk about. There definitely was, but neither of us was brave enough to interrupt the uncomfortable silence.

From the corner of my eye, I saw his dog-ears perk up. "I hear a running stream ahead of us," Inuyasha informed me as he went on ahead, grabbed my hand, and directed me towards the water. The warmth of his calloused hand sent shivers down my spine. Sure enough, it was just beyond the shrubs ahead of us.

I gasped at the wondrous sight. The crystal clear water glistened from the reflection of the sun, as if thousands of tiny fireflies were swimming in the river. Some trout swam within the current in search of algae to consume. The fresh breeze tickled my skin and left behind a tingling sensation of contentment.

I ran towards the edge of the stream and pulled out the empty bottles. One by one, I faced the openings of the bottles against the current until they became completely filled with fresh, icy water. When I finished, I grabbed my yellow backpack, dipped it into the river, and began scrubbing. Little by little, the lime green stain of frozen treats began to disappear until the bottom of the backpack went back to its original shade of yellow.

"Phew, that's a relief," I gave out a tired sigh and placed my backpack and the filled bottles to the side. The cold breeze tousled my hair and instantly brought down my hot temperature. It felt wonderful not to be cooked alive.

Without warning, freezing water splashed onto me, causing me to shriek. Though it felt good, I couldn't help but shiver at the sudden cold sensation. I pushed my wet bangs out of my eyes and searched for the culprit. I could hear Inuyasha laughing hysterically, but he was nowhere in sight.

I got up from my seat on the grass, and went towards the edge of the river. Sure enough, Inuyasha was in the river cooling off. He couldn't stop laughing at the practical joke he pulled on me, yet I didn't care. I loved it when he was happy, especially when his dog-ears would perk up to show his glee. Though he'd kill me for saying this out loud, I thought it was adorable.

"That was not funny, Inuyasha. Now I'm all wet!" I complained while pointing out my drenched school uniform. He just continued to chortle as if he didn't have a care in the world. I couldn't help but inwardly smile.

"If you're so worried about your clothes, take them off and lay them out to dry. Believe me, in this weather they'll dry up in no time. In the meantime, you could join me. The water's clear and cool," Inuyasha suggested as he gestured for me to come inside.

Did he even realize what he was saying? If I took off my uniform, all I'd have on is my underwear! I felt very uneasy with his idea. But, the water did seem refreshing…

"C'mon, Kagome, you know you want to." Inuyasha's amber gaze mocked me. I could feel my face heating up. Of course I wanted to, and it's hard not to want it since he was wet… and half naked. I glanced around me and saw a flash of red and white. The top half of Inuyasha's kimono was hanging on a tree branch. Curiously, I looked back at him. My eyes traced the muscles on his torso. All those times of fighting off demons really paid off.

I suddenly blushed at the thought. No! I would not succumb to my teenaged pheromones. I felt adulterated just thinking about swimming with Inuyasha in nothing but my bra and panties.

"Um… uh… I think I'll just wait out here. You should go ahead and swim," I recommended, as I backed away.

Inuyasha smirked at my nervous disposition. "What? Did you think I would do something dirty to you?" My facial expression must have given me away because he began laughing hysterically again. "I'm not like Miroku, idiot. I was just kidding. Who knew you'd take it so seriously?" He continued to chuckle at my stupidity.

I pouted, purely hurt by his immoral joke. Who was he to play around with my feelings? I'd show him…

Before I knew what I was doing, I began stripping down to just my white undergarments and tossed my uniform aside to dry. To test the temperature, I went down on my hands and knees and dipped my hand in the water. While doing this, I secretly glanced at Inuyasha to see his reaction. His eyes were wide as saucers as he observed me, and his face was completely red. I couldn't help but giggle out loud.

Though quite cold, I dipped my entire body into the river and began swimming back and forth to get used to the temperature. The cold water nipped at my exposed skin, but it still felt wonderful.

Inuyasha cleared his throat awkwardly, and that brought me back to reality. What the hell was I doing? My idiotic actions were wrong on so many levels.

"Um… I'm sorry. I don't know what got in to me," I apologized wholeheartedly, as I began to crawl out of the stream.

Inuyasha's hand clutched my arm before I could fully leave the river and pulled me into him. His arms wrapped around my waist to prevent me from swimming away. With my back facing him, I could feel the warmth of his torso on my back, causing me to shiver. "You don't have to leave yet, Kagome."

My breathing became shallow, my whole body quivered, and my knees buckled. I was so vulnerable in his arms. "Let… let me go, Inuyasha," I whispered uneasily. This was dangerous; I could feel it in my bones.

"I don't want to let go… no, I can't let go… not anymore. Let me just hold you for a while… please…" Inuyasha pleaded. I couldn't help but abide to his wishes, so I remained in his arms. Though I was finally getting what I yearned for ever since I fell in love with him, I couldn't help but feel the excruciating throbbing in my chest. Why did it hurt so much to love him unconditionally? Because I felt that I was betraying his love for Kikyo.

The tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"Why are you crying, Kagome? Have I done something wrong again? I'm sorry… Please don't cry…" Inuyasha entreated. His embrace became tighter, almost suffocating. But, I didn't care; I just wanted the agony to stop.

Inuyasha grabbed my shoulders, turned me around, and his lips crushed into mine. Immediately, the tears stopped flowing. Though the pain lingered on my lips, the shock overtook it.

He was kissing me… my very first kiss…

When his head pulled back, his lips left mine tingling. With my quickened heartbeat, I was gasping for air. My eyes searched through his mesmerizing amber orbs, trying to decipher his motives.

He placed his forehead on mine to give me a clearer view of his stunning eyes. Inuyasha's arms wrapped around me tightly in an affectionate embrace. "I don't want you to cry, Kagome. Please be happy, for me."

I knew right then and there that I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

"I love you, Inuyasha. So much that it hurts," I confessed, my eyes welling up with tears again. One tear was on the verge of falling until Inuyasha wiped it away gently with his finger, being careful not to scratch my face with his sharp claws.

"I love you too, Kagome. You have no idea how much I love you," Inuyasha declared, his face turning red again. After a few moments, his face went somber again. "I love you a lot, Kagome, but you're gonna have to give me some time. I don't want to have to hurt you anymore, and in order to do that you have to give me time… to straighten out my feelings. I'm still uncertain about some things, but I know for a fact that I love you. Nothing will change that."

I couldn't help but smile. I've been waiting for this confession forever. I couldn't possibly ask for anything more, because asking for more would be asking too much of Inuyasha. Though I was totally against Inuyasha's hesitant feelings because of the heartbreak from Kikyo that still lingered in his heart, I still agreed to give him time.

Fully enjoying the moment, my arms tightened around him, as I gave him a peck on the lips. He was taken aback by the sudden kiss, but he smiled nonetheless.

"I love you, Inuyasha," I whispered loud enough for only his ears to hear.

"I love you too, Kagome," He muttered back. Though my eyes were closed, I heard the smile in his voice when he said that.

The current caressed our bodies, and the fish kissed our feet in search of algae. We embraced each other for what felt like hours. If only time could stop at this moment so that we'd be together forever.

Inuyasha was all mine, even if it was just for this moment.

Author's Notes: Hope you liked it! Reviews are much appreciated!

XxBloodyYukixX