AN: I wanted to write a kind short 'car theft turned kidnapping' fic, then almost 10,000 words later... What have I done. There will probably be more. If you make it to the end please review, because I live for your attention. Thank you.
Kagome rolled down the car window, sticking her hand out to mingle with warm night air as she drove. She liked the way the wind whipped her hair against her shoulders, but the fluttering of papers in the back made her hurriedly close it again, worried about losing even a single page of notes, ruining her chances of passing the finals. The commute from the shrine to her school was long, and late at night the radio stations never played anything worth listening to. Even so, she hummed along, thinking about her classes and mentality trying to review the important points from that day. It was pointless trying to concentrate on it though, the professor having talked so fast that she'd only gotten down a quarter of the notes she needed. She could go through the book and try to fill in the gaps when she got home. She passed the road sign that told her she had made it a little over half way, making her feel relieved as well as worried.
The roadside patches that vibrated loudly under her tires snapped her back to attention, allowing her to drift safely back into her lane for the third time in the last forty miles. She'd gone home for a weekend visit and forgotten an important book. Usually she would have just left it until the following weekend, but the professor had made it very clear that wasn't an option when he'd called her out in class to answer a question. The mad scramble for her classmates book before she could answer had been embarrassing, to say the least. She'd be totally hopeless without it, so she'd bit the bullet and made the mostly pointless journey after class.
She was exhausted, and while that was nothing new, her own driving was starting to scare her. She was so close to her cozy bed, she could almost feel her soft pillows waiting, but wondered if it was a good idea to continue. There were no other cars on the road, and the scenery was too dark to look at, leaving her nothing to concentrate on except the radio and the constant relaxing hum of her car. The night air hadn't helped at all, despite her hopes, and so she decided on the next best course of action, flipping on her turn signal and taking the next exit.
Once she'd left the highway she began looking for somewhere out of the way, finding a quiet street and parking on the curb, making sure not to block any driveways or mailboxes so her presence wouldn't be a bother to anyone until morning. As her key turned and the hum of her car died she sighed, leaning back into the seat and running her fingers through her hair. She lazily stepped out of her vehicle and opened the back door, kicking off each of her heels into the floorboards. She took off her blazer next, crawling inside and shutting the door. She laid still for a moment, letting her body settle into the cushions before fidgeting uncomfortably. Her tight dress was both professional and stylish, but a bit constricting for sleep. The tights that covered her legs would probably get ruined overnight, but taking them off seemed like too much effort. More importantly, something was stabbing her. She dug her hand around under her side for a moment before she found her keys and tossed them lazily in the front seat, pushing her face deeper into the balled up blazer to block out the orange street light.
She was just at the border between sleep and consciousness when she heard the sound of footsteps. They sounded like running, which might have caused her to open her eyes and investigate, if not for her being only half awake. They came and went, whoever it was rushing by without a second glance, or so she thought. She vaguely registered the footsteps returning, but what really woke her up was the sound of her car door being flung open and an unfamiliar body dodging inside.
"Fuck! Thank you, Kami! Yes!" The stranger yelled, snatching up her keys and starting the car. Before Kagome could even yell the vehicle was in gear and tearing down the street in a way she didn't even know her car was capable of. That was when she found the time to yell.
"AH-! STOP!" She shrieked, clinging to the upholstery as he did exactly as she asked, skidding to a halt and causing her to fall forward with the momentum.
"What in the!?" He yelled as she dropped into view. She let out a little 'unf!' as her stomach hit the center console box, stopping her just an inch before her face met the radio. She pushed herself up immediately, still wedged between the seats as her wide brown eyes met with the stranger's gold, only inches apart. She gasped in terror, pushing the rest of the way into the back as his golden eyes followed her, seeming just as surprised as she was to see another person in the car. As she cowered in the seat, paralyzed in shock, a bright light filled the vehicle. His eyes turned to the window, squinting at something that truly seemed to cause him concern. She followed his gaze to see several men jumping out of a large black vehicle, the same vehicle that was blinding them both, and begin moving quickly towards her car. Her lips parted in confusion as she looked back at the man, asking all ten thousand of her questions with one look. He gritted his teeth and turned back to the wheel.
"Hang on!" He yelled, stomping the gas as they squealed off again. Kagome screamed, clutching the seat in front of her as something hit the side of her car with a sharp bang, followed by another and another. Her scream stopped abruptly when one of those something's shattered the window at her side and graze her upper arm before embedding itself in door across from her. She pulled her arm down against her body and clasped her hand over the spot where it hurt, feeling what she knew was blood seep out between her fingers. "Fuck!" The man from the front seat yelled, stealing her line. "How bad are you hit?" He yelled, turning the mirror to her even as he raced down the road. Her eyes were squeezed shut, trying to close out the pain that burned through her arm.
"I-I don't know!" She yelled honestly, panting as the panic reached a peak. She was kidnapped! Shot! And rocketing down the road at a rate of speed that she was sure would result in a manslaughter charge when they got caught.
"You got a phone?" He yelled over the wind from the shattered window. Kagome's eyes popped open as she dove for her blazer. She fumbled around in the pocket as the injured arm and swerving car made it hard to use her hands.
"Yes!" She said triumphantly, holding the phone for only a second before the driver snatched it away. She gasped as it left her hands, watching as he held it to the wheel, not even attempting to use it. "What are you doing!? Call the police!" She screamed, her eyes wide and frightened. The driver leaned over, opening the glove box and tossing it in before slamming it shut. Her eyes went between the driver and the glove box a few times before she lunged forward, only to be blocked by the driver's arm. She desperately tried to move past it, but he was too strong, even when she put her full weight into it. He shoved her firmly into the into the back seat, which she hit with another 'unf!'
"Brace yourself, kid!" He barked. She barely registered his command when an impact from behind rocked the car, making her grip the seat beneath her, her hands sinking into the little cubes of glass that were scattered over everything. The car whipped violently to the left, sending her forcefully into the still intact window on the other side with a thud. She pushed herself up, shaking her pounding head as a slow trickle of fluid slipped down her scalp, sliding over her face to her chin. "I mean it!" He yelled. She looked up at him in a daze just as gravity shifted again, realizing what was happening just in time to cling to the seat in front of her. The car whipped to the right and skidded, never losing momentum as they tore on at breakneck speeds. She maintained her death grip of the seat, holding her eyes closed as her heart pounded, a few little prayers squeaking out tearily from her lips. She couldn't say how long she'd stayed that way as the vehicle maneuvered through the streets, threatening to throw her back into the windows with every turn, because she never opened her eyes until the turns became a bit less violent, and the wind that whipped through the car through the broken window calmed to an even flow, but it felt to her like years. She hesitantly opened her eyes.
The man before her was still concentrated on the road, his attention darting between the mirrors every few seconds. Her eyes searched every part of him, partly for the police report she intended to make, and partly because she'd never seen anything like him. He was very handsome, with a strong jaw and high cheeks, and wore his hair even longer than hers. It was snowy white from what she could tell, but the rapidly passing street lights may have been playing tricks. He wore a plain white shirt and a red jacket, with no visible tattoos or piercings. She couldn't tell his height since he was sitting, but he looked tall to her. She searched the top of his head for a moment, thinking that she really must have injured her own, sure that in the first moment of surprise she'd seen something there. She watched as the stranger's shoulders relaxed and he let out a long held sigh. "We lost em." He muttered, still watching the mirrors for any signs he was wrong.
Her shaky hands slowly released the life saving seat as she turned to look for herself, deep relief washing over her at the sight of a completely empty road behind them. She watched and waited, part of her expecting to see headlights any moment, but eventually she too let out a sigh, turning her eyes to her captor. "W-What… what just happened… who are you?" She asked, still wrapped around the seat, finding her throat sore from the screaming that she hadn't even realized she'd been doing, not to mention the pounding in her head. He glanced at her, seeming to inspect every visible inch judgingly before turning back to the road.
"What happened is… you just saved my life, kid." He said with a little relieved smile. She blinked, shifting her eyes to look out the broken window. They'd shot at her car, whoever they were. With real guns! The fact that they were really trying to kill him was obvious, making her almost happy to have helped, even if it was against her will. Her eyes widened as she remembered being hit, looking to her upper arm with concern. "How's your arm?" He asked seriously, seeing the way she checked it. She looked up again in surprise. She wondered if this was her chance.
"Ah- not good! I-I think I need a hospital!" She said, sounding just a bit too eager to her own ears. His golden eyes left the road again, looking at her arm for himself. She covered the wound with her hand just a second too late.
"Keh! It just grazed you!" He said, making her curse mentally.
"So!? I need to go to the hospital! Just drop me off, take the car!" She said desperately, tears welling up in her eyes. The fact that witnesses to this kind of thing didn't always survive long enough to tell anyone was not lost on her. She needed to get out of this car, asap. She glanced at the glove box, thinking about going for it again. Just as she was starting to formulate a real plan in that direction he leaned back over and opened it, retrieving the cell and putting it safely in his own jacket pocket, sending her a pointed look as her eyes followed the device longingly.
"You're fine." He said simply, speeding up as they got back on the highway.
"No… I'm not... so, if you would please, please drop me off…" she said quietly, terrified of this strange man and what he might do to her.
"Look." Said the man, glaring at her in glances as he drove. "I'm not an idiot. I know you just wanna run to the cops." The tears in her eyes broke over the edges, cascading down her cheeks.
"I won't." She said shakily, lying, but hoping he would let her leave if she promised not to do it.
"I don't buy it." He said calmly. "You look like a snitch." His eyes scanned her quickly a second time, judging her.
"N-no! I'm not! I'll say- I'll say I fell down!" She reasoned, fear and desperation making her stutter a bit. He barked out a single laugh, making her jump.
"What, into a pile of bullets and broken car window? I don't think so." He said, denying her again. Her eyes filled with more tears. If she couldn't be seen by a doctor or talk to the police, her worst fear must be true.
"So… you're just going to kill me then?" She said softly, her voice broken and pleading.
"I- what!?" He asked, doing a double take at her pathetic face. "All I did was steal your damn car, lady! Course I'm not gonna kill you!"
"Then let me go!" She begged, her sobs becoming more panicked.
"I will! I just… Damn it!" He hit the wheel with the palm of his hand. "You can't go to the cops! If you do, those guys are gonna be pissed, and probably try to kill you too." He said, looking at her to see if she could be trusted. He turned back to the road in a huff, a frown on his lips. "And it's not exactly easy for a guy who looks like me to lay low, so I can't have you runnin your mouth!" Kagome stayed silent, wondering why a criminal would want to look so noticeable in the first place.
"I won't- I won't say a word I swear-!" she tried again, only to be cut off.
"Save it!" He yelled, making her curse in her head again. "Right now, they probably think I just stole your car." He said, reading the road signs as they passed. "They've got no idea you saw anything, so we just need to ditch the car and… you report it stolen tomorrow." Kagome watching him with wide tearful eyes, afraid that he was right. If those people had shot at them, they probably didn't want the police knowing about it. This man's plan seemed sound to her, and would get her safely out of the situation, like she wanted. "Just don't mention being in it when it got taken, and it'll all be fine, I think."
Kagome nodded slowly. "Okay…" she said softly, still hanging off the seat. He glanced at her with a serious look. She returned it, wiping her face with her hand and wincing at how the salty tears stung her palms. She nodded at him, perfectly willing to go along with the plan of it would get her to safety. "I'll… cooperate. I don't care at this point, I just want to go home." She insisted. The man smirked.
"Your house got a garage?" He asked. Her eyes widened. That was not part of the safe plan.
"No." She said, shaking her head resolutely. His smirk became a grin, revealing what looked to Kagome like a fang peeking out from under his lip.
"Yes you do. Where?" he asked. She cursed mentally again.
"I'm serious, I don't!" She lied, ready to deny it until he believed her. He reached above his head, tapping the garage button that was clipped to her visor, shooting her an all too amused look. She exhaled through her nose, defeated. "Just… take me to a bus stop!" She said, not at all willing to tell this car thief where to find her. He dropped his smile as he shook his head.
"Can't. If you try to get on a bus looking like that, someone will call the cops even if you don't, I guarantee it." He said, sounding almost apologetic. "I'll take you home, we'll stash the car overnight, and in the morning I'll go ditch it and you'll never see me again. Deal?" He glanced at her, seeing that she was not going for it, at all.
"No way in-!" She started, setting her jaw in determination. "I'm not telling you where I live! You're a car thief! You kidnapped me and got me shot!"
"Grazed!" He argued. "And I never meant to kidnap you! I just- who leaves their keys in the front seat?" He said, tightening his grip on the wheel as he shook his head. "Look, I ain't gonna do nothin but wait around till morning. I swear."
"No." She said, releasing the seat and sitting back to cross her arms. He grit his teeth, taking a deep breath.
"Listen, kid. This is happening. You can either tell me where I'm going yourself, or I can make you." He said, clearly meaning every word. Kagome stilled, thinking it over. She was sure he could, though he didn't seem like he really wanted to. She whined in desperation, biting her lip as she tried to think of something else. "I'm waiting." Said the man, his voice suddenly sounding much lower, and more dangerous.
"You… you swear… just tonight, then you're gone forever… right?" She said in a small voice. He adjusted the mirror to look at her, his glare the only thing visible when she looked up at it.
"I swear. What do you want? A pinky promise?" he said sarcastically. She sniffed a couple times before she leaned forward, hugging the seat again, this time extending her small and bloodied hand forward, pinky raised. He did a double take at her hand, scoffing. "Are you serious?" He groaned, leaving his hands on the wheel.
"Promise!" She said, shaking her hand once. "Promise you won't hurt me, and leave as soon as you can safely." Her brown eyes locked with gold, never wavering, absolutely serious.
"Fine." He said with a sneer. "I pinky fucking promise." He raised his hand from the wheel, lightly wrapping his own pinky around hers, shaking it once and dropping it. "Now tell me." He said. She looked at his face which was turned to the road, trying to decide if the concussion, which she was pretty sure she was suffering from at this point, had really skewed her judgment this far. His eyes seemed honest. His pinky promise was surprisingly gentle. He didn't seem like a terrible man, even if he was a car thief.
"We're close." She said with the barest hesitation. "Take the exit coming up on the right." She scanned the familiar surroundings, glad that he just happened to have gone the right way. As she directed him closer to her house a pit began to form in her stomach with each turn. She sat back, wondering if this was a terrible mistake. This man was dangerous, she was sure, honest eyes or not. She glanced at the door handle, thinking about bolting at the next turn when he had to slow down. She jumped nearly out of her skin when the doors all locked in unison, swiveling her eyes back to the driver.
"Don't even think about it." He said. She blushed, panicking at getting caught red handed, before she thought better of it.
"Think about what?" She asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Right." She added, trying to sound innocent, wondering if he could actually read her mind. The man sighed heavily, flicking on the signal as he followed her direction. She watched nervously as her chance to run passed her by.
"I'm trying to work with you, kid, I really am… but if it comes down to saving my ass or letting you live…" he trailed off, leaving her to imagine the rest. Kagome's blood ran cold. She didn't doubt for a moment that he meant what he was telling her. "Don't make me choose." He warned.
"L-left." She squeaked, her throat dry. He turned on the signal again, manoeuvring around the corner. Kagome looked up, pointing weakly to her own house. "That one." She said softly, biting back a whimper. He hit the button over his head and the garage opened.
"Perfect." He muttered, guiding the car in. Once they were inside he hit the button again, turning off the car and killing the lights, plunging them both into complete darkness. Kagome jumped as she heard the door open and slam, the thought of being in the dark and knowing this stranger was somewhere there with her filling her with complete dread. She fumbled for the door handle blindly, pulling it repeatedly to no avail. She stilled, listening to the footsteps of the man echoing strangely. The broken window messed with her ability to tell exactly where he was, because the sound was always loudest directly behind her. She felt her heart seize as the echoes stopped, leaving her ears ringing with the sound of her own pulse. Her hands touched the window lightly as her blind eyes traveled up, searching the darkness for anything. She jumped at the loud 'chirp-chirp' of the doors unlocking, the hazards flashing once to illuminate the body of her captor standing too close, just on the other side of the door. As it opened she pushed herself back in terror.
"No!" She screamed as a hand dragged her forward. "NO! NAAAAHH-!" A hand clamped over her lips as she was pulled from the car. She found herself pinned, her back pressed against the car thief, only making her scream louder, thrashing as hard as she could to get away. A strong arm lifted her slightly so her feet wouldn't drag as she was carried through the darkness.
"Would you calm down!?" he yell-whispered in her ear. She screamed her lungs out, kicking madly, wishing she was still wearing her heels because they might hurt more. Tears cascaded down her face as she tried anything and everything to get away. She felt her captor stop walking, keeping her suspended in the air. "Seriously." He said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you." She barely heard him over herself, muffled though she was.
She squeezed her eyes shut, hyperventilating with each scream as she thought of all the horrible things that he could do. She felt so furious at herself for being so weak. She wished that anything she was doing would make an effect. Every kick landed hard and did nothing. She couldn't even touch him with her arms. His hand stayed sealed over her lips, which were closed, so she couldn't even bite him. After at least a solid two minutes of struggle her body felt impossibly heavy. Her head laid back on his shoulder as she finally started to give up, her body shuddering as the screams became painful and bitter cries. Her legs kicked more weakly and eventually stopped all together as her captor remained still. Her tears flowed down her face, disappearing into her hair as he held her. "I'm sorry." He whispered, making her cry harder, laying her wet cheek against his neck as she shook her head 'no' in a last silent plea for mercy. "Fuck… I'm so sorry… I know this is terrifying, but I swear… I swear I'm not gonna to hurt you." Something in the man's voice struck her. It sounded completely genuine, calming her a bit, making her trust that maybe he was telling the truth. She reasoned that if he was going to to any of the horrible things he probably could, he wouldn't still be standing here. It was the darkness that had really terrified her, she realized all too late. She stopped making sound, still panting hard, but trying to lay still, closing her eyes as she laid on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He whispered again. After what felt like a full minute of calm, she wished to be let go, wondering if he could still read her mind. Nothing happened, so she tried nodding her head. The hand over her lips slowly became lighter until it was removed completely. She hesitated a moment longer before speaking.
"Please… put me down." She said softly. Relief washed through her as he complied, her head sliding off his shoulder as her stocking covered feet landing softly on the familiar surface of her wooden step, just outside the door. It instantly made her feel better, knowing exactly where she was. She slowly reached forward and smiled when she felt the door, right where it should be. Her hand traced down to the handle, pushing it down and letting the door swing wide. She immediately reached for the light, shakily sighing as her eyes met the familiar details of her kitchen. She fell to her knees in relief, her hand slipping a bit in the blood as she pressed it to the linoleum. She stayed that way for a long moment, so happy to be in this bright place, until she turned slowly to the kidnapper who waited just behind her. When she looked up at him he gave her a serious look that she found hard to read. He stepped over her into the bright kitchen and walked straight to her phone which sat on the counter, picking it up and turning back to look at her.
"This the only one?" He asked, holding the cordless up. She shook her head slowly, wiping her face on the back of her hand.
"One in the living room." She muttered honestly.
"Let's go then." He said, waiting for her to stand up, which she didn't do. He watched her with his golden eyes, her own darker shade looking back. She held her breath as stuffed the phone in his pocket and walked closer, kneeling down and offering his hand.
"Please." He said quietly. When she only stared at the offering he sighed softly through his nose, a look of determination on his face. "I said I wouldn't hurt you, and I meant it. Remember?" He held up his hand, pinky out. She stared at that hand, the same one that had promised not to hurt her and then muffled her terrified screams, realizing for the first time that his nails were long and sharp like claws. Something clicked in her mind, that her captor wasn't human at all. She looked back to his eyes seeing the golden color in a new light. He was a demon. That was why he was so strong. Why he could read her mind, and how he saw in the dark when she was blind.
She'd never met one before, mostly because they were so rare. Her grandpa had told stories of how they were bloodthirsty monsters, but also beautiful to look at. He'd warned that they were so beautiful to fool humans into trusting them, loving them, protecting them, only to fall prey to the demon's natural bloodlust. She listened to her own heart pounding as she looked at his face, deciding that he was more beautiful than any man she'd ever seen. His amber eyes were so easy to trust that they terrified her. The clawed hand before her still waited.
"I suppose we can sit here all night if you want, but I'd rather not." He said softly, smiling at her encouragingly, revealing that fang again. She nodded minutely as she carefully raised her hand and let it hover over his. It fell slowly, skin touching skin, his thumb covering her fingers with the same gentleness of the pinky swear. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as he stood, letting him pull her to her feet. He left her side for a moment, going to her sink. He pulled open the highest cabinet, which was empty because she was too short to reach it, and tossed the two phones inside before pulling open a couple lower drawers and shutting them, searching.
"What are you looking for?" She asked quietly, seeing him pull down a cup, but continuing as though there were something else he would need.
"Ah… washcloth or something… we need to cover your arm." He said absently.
"The bathroom. There's bandage in there." She replied, her voice sounding raspy, pointing when he looked up to the hallway.
"Right…" he said, stopping his search in favor of filling the cup with water. She watched curiously as he carried the cup to her and offered it up. "Drink it." He said. She nodded and took the cup, holding it carefully as not to upset the tiny scratches on her palms from the glass. She gulped it down quickly, the cool water feeling like heaven on her raw throat. She looked up at him as she finished it all, offering it back. "Good." He said, taking the glass. "Now where's the bathroom?"
She slowly turned and led him through the hall, all too aware that he was only inches behind her the entire way. She entered the bathroom, clicking on the light and retrieving the first aid supplies from behind the mirror. She set them out on the sink, gauze, bandages, alcohol and tweezers. He stood behind her, stopping the mirror when she tried to close it and reaching over her shoulder for the genetic brand pain meds, closing the mirror and moving her by the shoulders. He sat her on the closed toilet and opened the bottle, handing it to her as he refilled the water cup. "You're gonna need those." He said, handing her the cup. She shook out a couple of the over the counter pills, gulping it all down, knowing he was right. Next he pulled a washcloth off the shelf over her head and ran it under the water before turning to her with an apologetic look. "This is probably gonna hurt." He warned.
He kneeled at her side, holding her arm with one hand and cleaning the gunshot with the other. Though Kagome winced with each movement, she was stunned at how gentle he was. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought there was no way this could be the same set of hands that had pinned her down in the darkness. His eyes wandered over her arm, deeply concentrating on his task. Hers wandered to his hair, noticing something off about the way the snowy locks fell. She narrowed her eyes at the spot where the hair looked shorter, and denser. She reached without thinking, touching the spot as he froze. She was beginning to regret her choice when a white puppy ear flicked up against her hand, an identical one popping up alongside it. She couldn't help herself, maybe it was the concussion, or maybe the shock, but she giggled, smiling in wonder at this development. "Do you mind?" Her captor panned, shooting her a glare that didn't seem altogether genuine. "I'd rather not get any of your blood in my hair." She pulled back her hand quickly.
"Sorry! Sorry- I was just surprised." She explained, her eyes darting back and forth between his eyes and his ears, one of which had a bright spot of red interrupting the perfect white. "I knew it." She said quietly. "I knew I saw something." She smiled at him for the first time, only getting a huff in response as he went back to the arm.
"Yeah, well, keep your hands off." He grumbled quietly. She nodded, still staring pretty openly at the most transfixing feature she'd ever laid eyes on. They laid back down as he glanced up, bringing the attention back to his eyes, though this time they seemed laid back in annoyance rather than hidden. "Really, kid, it's rude to gawk like that." He brushed his finger under her chin, closing her mouth as he stood. It dropped right back open as they flicked back up.
"Why were they down before?" She asked innocently, making sure to look at his eyes when he looked at her. He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he held the cloth under the water.
"I figured it might make it harder to identify me." He picked up the alcohol, dousing the rag as he wrinkled his nose. "When you run to the cops like you want to, all you're gonna have to say is 'dog ears,' and they're gonna know who they're looking for." He kneeled back down, the rag and both his hands sitting in his lap as he sat back on his heels.
"Dog ears?" She said, as though they weren't in front of her, clear as day.
"Uh... yeah?" He said, raising a brow. "Dog-demon?" He gestured to all of himself. Kagome bit her lip, hesitating to believe him. He shook his head. "I thought you figured this out in the kitchen." He said, confused about what was confusing here here.
"You don't seem like a dog…" she muttered softly, suddenly looking at his ears with a bit more apprehension. He gave her the 'knock it off' look again, but she completely missed it.
"Uh-huh… well… when you talk to the cops, that's what they'll wanna know." He said matter of factly.
Kagome shook her head softly at the accusation, but he didn't seem convinced.
"I won't…" she said softly, raising her hand, her pinky out. He smirked at that, though she was serious. It may be childish, but she always honored a pinky promise. Her hand fell back to her side as he pushed her knee, turning her so her arm was back in front of him.
"Guess the secrets out now." He said with a smirk. He took on a less playful look as his eyes dropped back down, his hand sliding back into place. "This is gonna hurt like hell." He said, holding her arm still and letting the rag hover over the neatly cleaned wound. He looked her in the eyes. "Ready?" He asked. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, nodding as her eyes closed. He pressed the rag to the wound, still being gentle, but holding her firmly in place as she made a pained noise through her teeth, the shallow cuts on both palms opening again as her hands balled into tight fists. She continued to make the pained whines as he thoroughly disinfected the area. After the first few swipes and dabs it began to hurt less, but she still couldn't stop herself from holding her breath every few seconds, releasing it in gasps. "I'm done." He said finally, dropping her arm, making her pant in relief as the involuntary tears ran down her face. "It won't need stitches, so all that's left is to wrap it." he smiled at her, as though he were cheering her on. He grabbed the roll of bandage and got to work, quickly and thoroughly covering what needed to be covered. When he was done he stood, rinsing the rag and winging it out to get started on her hands. He didn't kneel this time, instead choosing to sit on the sink, putting his feet on either side of her. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he worked on her hands, stopping only twice to pick out a miniscule shard of glass. It was much faster than her arm, and far less painful, the scratches only being superficial. Next was the cut on her head. "Here… just lean on…" he gently guided her head to lean on his knee. She looked up at him innocently as he retrieved the cloth and started moving her hair to find the cut. "Kami." He said, lightly dabbing the spot. "You really hit that window, huh?" She nodded. "Stay still." He reminded. She did as he asked, leaning in to his leg. "You feeling okay?" He asked, seeming a little surprised she was conscious.
"Not great." She admitted, only a trace of sarcasm in her voice. He hummed.
"Sleepy? Lights too bright?" He asked. She huffed, plenty aware of how a concussion felt, and plenty sure she had one.
"Yes." She murmured, staying still. He hummed again.
"Well, no sleep for you." He said softly. Kagome winced as he introduced the alcohol to the wound.
"That's actually a myth." She bit out. "Sleep is good for head injuries, I just need someone to wake me up every two hours." She was so concentrated on the pain that she didn't even realize what she'd said until he was done.
"There's a bad bruise, but the cut isn't even worth bandaging, 'less you wanna shave your head." He said, tossing the rag back into the sink. "How long?" He asked. She blinked as she sat up, not understanding his question.
"How long what?" She asked, pushing her hair behind her ear carefully.
"How long does someone have to wake you up every two hours?" He said. Her eyes widened.
"No. You said- pinky promised…" she bit her lip, panicking again as she thought annoy the immediate future, and all the reasons why she didn't want him in it. "And I have class!" Her face suddenly went completely blank. "My notes." She said, her voice lowering a bit as the color drained from her face.
"Notes?" He asked, raising a brow at her strange reaction, wondering if he really would have to drag her to the hospital and get thrown in jail all for this head injury.
"Notes!" She cried, standing between his legs and grabbing his jacket with her bandaged hands.
"Hey! Take it easy!" he said, pushing her hands off of him a bit roughly.
"The notes in the car! They were in the-!" she pushed his leg down to rush for the door. He grumbled as he chased after her, remembering that he never collected the third phone. He did a double take as they passed the living room, sliding to a halt as she continued on to the garage, grabbing a flashlight from a hook by the door without ever slowing as she ran inside. He was pretty confident he could catch her before she could get the door to the outside open, so he went for the phone instead, snatching it and meeting her in the garage. He found her carefully digging through the back seat, avoiding the broken glass as her flashlight went all over. "No…" she whined softly. "No… no, no, no…" she continued as he walked up behind her, getting a view that might have pleased him in a different circumstance, but now he only worried about why she was suddenly freaking out. "They're gone." She said in a small voice, bowing her head in defeat.
"What's gone?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest. She looked back at him, tears forming in her eyes.
"The notes!" She yelled angrily, making his ears pin back. She pushed herself out of the car, slamming the door, making the glass that was trapped inside the panel jingle. She stormed past him into the kitchen, tossing her flashlight to the ground. He only followed when he saw her climb up onto the sink, attempting to reach the phones that were stashed too high for her to reach otherwise. She cried out as he caught her around the middle, pulling her back just as she'd managed to open cabinet, swiveling her away from her goal. He tossed the third phone in with the others and closed it again before dropping her to her feet. "This is all your fault!" She cried, the tears beginning to run down her face. She swung at his chest only for her hand to be caught roughly before it landed. She wrenched it away from him as she cried, her eyes both furious and heartbroken, only confusing him more.
"You… needed the notes?" He said, just trying to figure out the cause for this sudden change.
"Yes!" She yelled, fisting her hands at her sides. "I needed the notes! But you had to steal my car and get me shot and kidnap me and ruin my entire life!" She raged. He stood still, taking the verbal assault with wide, somewhat fascinated eyes. He thought about reminding her that she was only grazed, but held his tongue, sensing that she wouldn't appreciate the distinction at the moment. "Now I'm- I'm- totally fucked!" She yelled, pushing a hand back through her hair, making him blink in surprise. He hadn't known her for more than a few hours, but he was pretty sure that her outburst would be considered unusual language for the girl. He hadn't heard her cuss once yet, and some things that were truly worthy of profanity had definitely happened to her.
"Kami, simmer down." He said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You're overreacting. They were just notes." He reasoned. The girl crumpled, her eyes closing as the tears flowed freely.
"You don't understa-a-and." She sobbed. "I'm finished-without those notes..." She sagged under his grasp as though she wanted to fall dramatically to the floor, but his hold on her arms kept her up. She made no effort to support herself, making him pretty sure he was holding her full weight.
"Oi." He shook her once, snapping her out of her misery for a moment to look at him. "They. Are. Just. Notes." He said, watching her shake her head in disagreement. "Do you not realize you nearly died tonight?" He asked, shaking her again. She sniffed, glaring at him.
"Your fault." She muttered, her voice cracking with the words. His ears laid back as he returned her glare.
"No shit." He said, unamused. "But if you're gonna hate me for something, it should probably be that, not some stupid notes." She sniffed again.
"I hate you for a lot of reasons." She muttered miserably. She yelped as he let go of her, letting her fall on the floor like she'd wanted. He stood over her with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Yeah, that's just great, kid. You can feel whatever way you want about me, but we still had a deal." He said coolly, watching as her hopeless eyes flashed with anger. "So?" He asked. "You gonna stick to it or not?" Kagome huffed, wiping her bandaged hand across both cheeks and trying to murder him with her eyes. She hated him. He'd ruined everything, and he didn't even care.
"You're the devil." She bit out. He quirked a brow, looking more amused by the comment than hurt. He shrugged.
"Only half." He replied. "So?" He asked again, holding up his hand, pinky raised, a smirk on his lips that she desperately wanted to punch off. She nodded slowly, wanting nothing in the world more than to double cross him and ruin his life a little, but knowing, and cursing, that she was honor-bound to the pinky swear.
"It stands." She muttered.
"Great." He said dryly, offering his hand. He smiled when she resentfully accepted it, pulling her to her feet. She wrenched her hand away, turning and leaving the kitchen, the kidnapper remaining hot on her heels. She stopped abruptly, making him almost walk into her.
"I'm going to bed." She said softly. "I trust that you're not going to follow me there, are you?" Her glare could probably cut glass, he thought, but yes, yes he was.
"Well…" He said, trying to word it correctly. "Not in the bed." He finished, watching her shoulders fall. She placed her palm on her forehead, rubbing it to the side as she took a breath. She thought about arguing, but her head pounded like a drum.
"Can I… at least change clothes out of sight?" She asked wearily, her doe eyes peeking up at him from behind her dark lashes. His eyebrow twitched.
"Fine… but just know, you open a window, press a button, drop a pin, try anything, and I'll know." He pointed at the ears that had been so very interesting to her earlier in the night. "They aren't just for show." He warned. She nodded, unimpressed with his words as she continued on towards the last door in the hall. She turned to him just as she opened the door. "I'll wait here." He said, rolling his eyes. "Hurry up." He added as she disappeared into the room, closing the door behind her.
He bowed his head, closing his eyes, calming his own breathing so that he could hear every sound as clearly as if he were standing next to her. He tried to picture what she was doing, but it was difficult not knowing the layout of the room. A drawer opened, the wheels sliding smoothly with the vibration of the wood. His ear twitched as it fell off the track with a little knock, making her curse under her breath. He smiled at her odd choice of when to use profanity, stifling a chuckle. Fabric moved, and was tossed, landing with a soft shuffle on what he assumed was a bed. The drawer closed, still of it's track. Next he heard the zipper of her dress, his throat tightening suddenly, surprising him. He shook his head, concentrating as he heard fabric moving against skin. His eyes opened but focused on nothing when fabric hit the floor, then the wall as it was kicked away. He found himself holding his breath as her thumb went under the band of her tights, nylon moving fluidly over smooth skin. There was silence for a moment, then the clasp of her bra coming undone. A chill ran up his spine making him fidget uncomfortably. He pointed his ears back, away from the door when he heard the last piece of clothing being removed, tapping a finger against his crossed arm nervously. From then on he was unreasonably relieved to hear only the sound of clothes being put back on.
"Hey, kidnapper." She said softly. He swiveled his ears back to the door, wondering if he should respond to that. As he was still deciding she picked another. "Um… car thief?" She tried. When he still didn't respond she huffed. "So much for hearing a pin drop-" she was mumbling to herself when she opened the door, stopping when she came immediately face to face with the man in question.
"Yeah, I heard you." He said. "But my name ain't kidnapper, or car thief." He watched the girl raise her eyebrows, her lips teasing at a smile. She crossed her arms as she looked up at him, almost mocking his tough-guy posture.
"Well I don't know your name." She said matter-of-factly. "And unless you want to add it to the list of things I could tell-"
"Inuyasha." He said, cutting her off before he changed his mind. She already knew enough to put the cops right on his trail, so she might as well know his name.
"Inuyasha…" she said skeptically, wondering if that was his real name or an alias. "Hm. Okay then." She said, turning back into the room and walking over to her bed, tossing back the covers.
"Well?" He asked, following her. "You got a name? Or should I just keep calling you 'kid'?" He took a seat in her desk chair as she crawled into bed, completely ignoring him.
"Well it is a appropriate. I have been kidnapped." She muttered. He smiled at that, agreeing that it fit.
"Alright then. See yah in two hours, kid." He flicked off the desk lamp that had been dimly lighting the room. The girl sat up suddenly, seeming startled by the perfectly normal action.
"Leave it on." She said, her voice sounding tight, her heart racing. He clicked it back on, shooting her a questioning glance. She blushed a bit, fisting her injured hands in the blanket. "I sleep with it on… I don't like the dark." She admitted in a small voice. His ear twitched at the new information.
"No kiddin." He said softly. She nodded a bit shyly.
"I know it's dumb, but it's actually a really bad phobia for me, so leave it on, okay?" She said, her voice taking on an honestly heartbreaking quality. His ears pinned back as he connected a few dots. The flashlight, the streetlight she'd parked right under, the struggle in the garage…
"Kami, I'm sorry about earlier." He muttered, genuinely horrified at what he'd put her through if darkness was her worst fear. "If I'd known- I wouldn't have…" she shook her head.
"You already said sorry." She muttered, falling back on her side into the sheets. "Don't feel too bad. I'm afraid of everything." She mumbled with her eyes closed, hugging her pillow.
"Yeah? Like what?" He asked, curious to know more and sensing that she was likely to tell him, being half asleep already. She hummed dreamily.
"Other than the dark?" She huffed, laughing at the question. "Dogs…" she admitted, making him frown. "Head injuries… criminals… strangers..." his brows knit together in concern. "Blood… failure…"
"Huh… this has really not been a good day for you." He said solemnly. She didn't respond. He listened to her breathing and her heartbeat, finding that she'd already fallen asleep. "Fuck." He muttered softly to himself, bowing his head, letting his hands block out the soft light that filled the room. He listened for another minute, smiling to himself for no reason, other than admitting he had to laugh at this ridiculous situation. His day had started with bad news, which had somehow escalated to grand theft auto and kidnapping. "Fuck." He whispered. He wondered what would happen tomorrow. Or at least in two hours.
Two hours passed, and Kagome woke up with a start to a man shoving at her shoulder. Her bleary eyes set on him and narrowed before closing again. She whined softly as he continued to jostle her. The pain choosing through her entire body finally pushed her into complete, crisp, agonizing consciousness. She opened her eyes finally, resting on the man holding a cup and two small pills. "Hey there, kid." He said softly. "Take these." She nodded vaguely as she pushed up onto her elbows and took the medicine, the small movement making her head pound. She swallowed it down and collapsed back on her face, dropping the cup, spilling the contents on her bed. She heard an amused snort as the cup was removed, along with a soft promise of "see yah in another two hours." She said something into the pillow, but there was no way to know what it was.
Two hours later it was the same again, with more water but no medicine. It was only a quick check in. "You still alive?" he asked, shaking her elbow. She made another affirmative noise into the pillow. "Water?" He asked. She lifted her head, feeling better, but only a little. She took a sip of the water and set it to the side, making it to the end table instead of her sheets. He took that as a good sign and left her alone to bury herself back in the pillow.
Two hours later she woke up on her own, pulling her clock to her face. She huffed and pulled herself up to a sitting position. As she swung her legs over the edge she noticed him enter the room with the cup and pills. "Oh." He said brightly. "Perfect." He walked over and offered her the life saving trio, which she accepted without a second thought, hoping it would quiet the pounding in her skull enough for class. After she knocked it all back she looked up at him seriously.
"It's time for you to go." She said softly, as not to further aggravate her headache. He nodded slowly.
"That so?" He asked. She didn't move, but her eyes assured him, it in fact was time to leave. "Alright. What's the story?" She sighed rubbing her eyes.
"I have a friend in the area. We went out drinking. She called me a cab." She said, taking a deep breath and blinking at him, her eyes still adjusting to the brightness of his hair color in the morning sun. Her eyes instantly wandered upwards, until his ears snapped back. She looked back at his eyes, which looked unamused. She smiled softly, and genuinely at that. "She called to tell me it was gone just now." He nodded, somewhat impressed.
"Okay. When can they speak to this friend?" He asked. She stood up, walking to her closet and pulling open the doors.
"She got on a flight to L.A…." She turned to look at the clock. "Fifteen minutes from now. And as for these cuts and bruises, I really can't say. I blackout when I drink." Her captor scoffed.
"You do this often?" He asked, a bit surprised by her plan actually making sense. She smirked, shaking her head.
"No… this would be a first." She collected her outfit for the day and tossed it on the bed. As she moved past him towards the door he caught her by the wrist. Her eyes met his as she turned back, searching for a reason he might be holding her up.
"And… that's the story you're gonna tell em?" He asked in a serious tone. He glanced over every part of her once more, judging her. He released her wrist when she tugged it back, pulling it to her chest, rubbing it absently with her other hand.
"Inuyasha?" She said, hesitating on every syllable. "That's it right? Inuyasha?" He smirked.
"Yeah." He said. "That's me." He watched as she slowly extended her pinky.
"A deal's a deal. This is goodbye." She said, shaking her hand once, beckoning him to take it. He looked from her hand to her eyes and back again before he wrapped his pinky around hers, shaking it once and dropping it.
"Give me a fifteen minute head start." He said, walking past her, casually strolling down the hall. She watched as he turned away from the door in the kitchen, opening and closing the high cupboard as three phones clattered onto her counter out of view. He returned to her sight for only a second, never glancing back, leaving through the garage door. Once she heard the car start, the garage open and close, she walked to the kitchen, going to the phone collection, finding all three dead. She huffed, placing a handset into the holder, letting it charge as she wandered off to get ready for class.
No more than twenty minutes later Inuyasha had made it to a secluded path in the woods, just barely wide enough for the car. It led nowhere, save for a clearing full of trash and twisted metal. A landfill, and the perfect place to ditch the car. He stepped out, opening the trunk and retrieving a bright red gas can, tipping it over a bit and letting some fuel scatter on the upholstery. He opened the back door and stopped from tipping the can at the very least second, noticing an oddly placed blue patch under one of the seats. Not being in any major hurry he stopped to investigate, pulling up a bit of the floorboard and extracting the blue triangle, learning that it was in fact the corner of a folder. He pulled it free, taking a moment there in the back seat to browse it before torching it. They were neatly written notes. He immediately wondered if they were the infamous notes, deciding from the dates at the top starting with two days ago and going back several weeks, they must have been. Something else at the tops of each page caught his interest. Kagome H.
He silently mouthed the name, liking the way the syllables went together. Ka-Go-Me. He closed the notes in their folder, thinking over his options. He looked at his pinky, then back to the notes. He thought about how she'd called him the devil, kidnapper, car thief, then about how his name sounded on her lips. He tucked the folder under his arm along with one high heel, humming a little tune as he went back to work, dousing the car here and there with splashes of fuel. When he was satisfied he snapped the heel off of the shoe, opening the gas cap and shoving the stiletto inside. He pulled the cheap lighter from his pocket and lit the shoe on fire, the flammable plastic coating dripping almost immediately as the flames danced up the side. He held it first to the heel, letting it lite like a candle before tossing the rest through the shattered window. The car started going up at once, Inuyasha watching it for a moment to make sure it was spreading before turning on his heel and walking away, back down the path he'd come from. It was at least six minutes before an explosion made him jump, turning back to see the dark plume forming in the sky. He watched it for a long moment as it twisted in the air, wondering if he was about to make a mistake. He shrugged to himself and continued on the path.