I'm glad everyone had such a good response to the last chapter. The first line Inuyasha says is actually a reference to Inuyasha: The Abridged Series, which is a parody on Youtube made by Canadian Jutsu and his girlfriend. It is AMAZING. You have to go watch it. :D
But anyway. Remember, if you're reading this story, it's only right that you leave reviews on what you think, even if they're only one or two words. I love feedback, and I answer each and every review I get. :)
Chapter four
"Get back here, you tin can on wheels!" I snarled, running after one of those 'cars' with my claws outstretched, fangs bared.
"You've really got to learn to control your canine urges." Kagome calmly grabbed my collar from behind, stopping me in my tracks and snapping me from the urge to chase the car.
I blushed. "It's not like I can help it! You try being half dog demon for a day and see if you can resist the urges!"
"Relax. It's sort of cute, in a way." Kagome admitted, only serving to deepen my blush. She was taking me to the 'supermarket' today, and she was going to show me how to buy things, in case she ever needed me to pick something up on my own.
"You only say that because you convinced me to come with you." I accused suspiciously as we walked. I was wary of the compliments she gave me. I knew that she meant them with her heart, because I was good at seeing through lies when it came to Kagome, but I was still having a hard time accepting she could have any sort of attraction to me. It was like trying to convince an atheist that Jesus was real.
"Yeah yeah." Kagome grabbed onto my hand (I was going to ask her why she kept doing that so often) and tugged me into a nearby building. I jumped when the doors slid open by themselves, but before I had time to question it, Kagome had tugged me inside.
"Ok, first things first. We need food that's easy and simple to make for the times mom isn't home. Ramen noodles sound good." Kagome pulled me toward the back of the 'supermarket', where there were thousands of small, round containers that were sealed on top. All of them had different flavors written across them, from chicken, to beef, to shrimp, etc.
"Pick out one you would like." Kagome said, turning to me.
"Well how would I know? I've never even heard of 'Ramen noodles'."
"Then I'll get the chicken ones for you. You'll probably like them. Here." Kagome grabbed a few of the containers and handed them to me.
"Oh, and get these!" She stacked some more, and now I was holding so many I had to move my head to see past them.
"Kagome!" I protested, as she darted into an aisle and grabbed a few boxes of things, and tossed those into my arms as well.
"You're the man, so you get to carry everything!" Kagome laughed at my position, and I growled at her.
"Do you think we went a little overboard?" Kagome asked as we were leaving the store.
I looked past the two huge boxes I was carrying. "I think that's an understatement!" I snarled.
"Hey, look." Kagome suddenly stopped, and I ran into her with the boxes.
"Whaddya do that for, Kagome?" I demanded, but followed her pointing finger nonetheless. I saw Sota standing in front of another 'store', one that held thousands of different flowers.
That must be the 'florist' Miroku was talking about. I'll have to remember where it is. I mentally noted. Sota was looking at the white lilies, and I wondered if he was going to get flowers for Kagome or something.
"I wonder what he's up to." Kagome murmured.
"Who knows? Maybe he's gonna buy some flowers."
"Well duh! That's what a florist is for! But what I mean is, I want to know who they're for! Maybe Sota likes a girl!" Kagome's eyes widened, and then a bright smile came over her face. "If he does, it's about time! I'll instruct him in the ways of love and he'll never go wrong!"
I gave Kagome a flat look. "Something tells me that there would be a flaw in your plans."
Kagome shot me a dark look. "Hey, nobody asked you, dogboy. If Sota needs help with romance, he'll come to me."
"Heh. Wanna bet?"
"Yeah, how much you want to bet?" Kagome demanded.
"Um . . . some of that money you used to buy all this stuff!" I replied. If I win this bet, that'll mean I'll have some money to buy Kagome those flowers. I thought, grinning to myself. Who said I didn't have brains?
"Fine, you're on! If he comes to me to get romance advice, then you will be my personal slave for a week, since you have no money to pay me." Kagome challenged.
"I was under the impression that I was already a slave."
Kagome ignored that. "Well, looks like Sota's heading home. So, the bet starts now. Got it?"
"Keh. Bring it on, wench."
When we returned to the house, and the boxes of purchased food were put away, Kagome and I watched Sota with hawk eyes, wherever he went. He seemed to notice us after a while, and gave us both weird looks.
"What are you guys looking at me like that for?" He asked, as Buyo jumped up into his lap. I glared at the cat, and he just meowed at me.
"No reason. Listen, Sota, if you ever need to talk about anything, anything at all, like a girl, for example, I'm here." Kagome offered cheerfully. I elbowed her, and she glared at me, hissing, "What?"
"That's cheating!" I hissed back.
"You never said I couldn't hint at it!"
"You little wench!"
Kagome ignored me and walked over to Sota, patting him on the head in a sisterly manner. "So if you ever need help, just come to me. All right?"
"Uh, ok, but . . . where's all this coming from?" Sota asked.
"Make sure you come to me." Kagome stressed, giving him a threatening look. Sota looked at her fearfully, and then Kagome smiled down at him angelically, and practically pranced out of the kitchen.
"She's off her rocker!" I said under my breath.
"Say, Inuyasha?" Sota glanced at me, as Buyo jumped off his lap and began slinking in my direction.
I stared the cat down. "What is it, kid?"
There was a knock on the door, and Kagome called, "I'll get it!" So Sota continued. "Inuyasha, I was looking at flowers today, and I was thinking . . ."
Hah! Looks like I'm gonna win this bet already! I knew he would come to me! I thought triumphantly, and I grinned, until Buyo reached out and lightly pawed at my hand. I shot a suspicious look down at the cat, and he began to purr as he climbed into my lap. "You can get away with it this time . . ." I grumbled, as he rubbed against my stomach.
"Well, I was thinking that since Kagome's favorite flowers are white lilies, you should get her some." Sota finished.
"Huh? So you weren't . . . lookin' at them because you wanted to get them for a girl?" I questioned, surprised and disappointed.
Sota looked surprised. "Of course not! I've already got a girlfriend, so I don't need to buy her flowers until Valentine's day, and that's far away! But anyway . . . I was thinking you could buy Kagome flowers for the festival, since you two are going together."
"How did you know about that, ya little runt!"
"Because Kagome hasn't shut up about it. She's real excited." Sota smiled, and I blushed. Kagome's really that excited to go with me? But why? Oh man . . .
"Yeah yeah . . . Look, I already had planned on gettin' her flowers or whatever for the festival." I grabbed Buyo's front paws and began to play with him as I talked. He yowled quietly but didn't seem mad. "The only problem is I gotta get some money."
"I actually thought of that. And I talked to grandpa. He said that he would give you the money to buy flowers if you helped him out around the shrine tomorrow." Sota replied.
"Hmph, did he? Well good. 'Cause I don't accept charity." I replied, pride evident in my voice. I didn't like charity, not one bit. At least I could work for the money. "But I'm no cheap labor either."
Sota shook his head. "I didn't think so."
"Well, I guess I'd better go find Kagome." I released Buyo and stood up, and he continued to purr as he wove around my ankles. "Yeah, keep suckin' up. It ain't gonna get you anywhere. Better go tell Kagome the bet's off." I added in a grumble, as i moved up the steps to her room, pulling the cap off my head, so my ears were free.
I reached to open Kagome's door, but at the sound of voices within, I stopped and listened for a second. Yes, I was eavesdropping, but oh well. It wasn't like Kagome would know.
". . . fess up, Kagome! You've got a guy on your mind! It's written all over your face!" I heard a girl saying.
"Oh, I do not! And if I did, it's not like it would matter anyway. He's clueless when it comes to that stuff." Kagome answered, and I felt a spark of indignation. What did she mean by that?
"So you admit there's a guy? I can't believe it! What about Hojo?" Another girl piped up.
"What about him?" Kagome sounded genuinely confused.
"Well, if you're with this guy, then wouldn't you be two-timing Hojo?" A third girl asked.
"Ok, first of all, I'm not with anyone!" Kagome sound exasperated. "I'm not dating either guy, so I'm not two-timing anyone! And even if I was with this guy, I wouldn't be two-timing Hojo because I'm not his property!"
"You go Kagome!" The third girl cheered.
"Thanks Ayumi." Kagome answered, and I could tell by her tone she was smiling. "Besides, did you guys come to my house just to interrogate me?"
"We just came to hang out, so we can't help it if you've been hiding something this juicy from us!" The first girl retorted. "I can't believe you've got a thing for some guy and you didn't even tell us! So what's he like?"
"Hmph! I hardly have a thing for him." Kagome mumbled, and I guessed she was blushing. "He's rude, crude, and he barely even calls me by name. But, he does have his moments where he's almost nice to me . . ." I felt my heart do a funny take at that, and I felt that damned blush light my face. Thank Kami Kagome couldn't see me.
"Sounds to me like he's got a 'bad boy' persona going for him." The second girl piped up. "That might be exciting for a while, but trust me, it's not good in the long run!"
"You might want to be careful! Good girls like you end up getting pregnant when they chase after the bad boys!" the first one added.
"Eek! Inuyasha? And me? And . . . pregnant! Don't scare me like that!" Kagome sounded embarrassed, and I felt the same spark of embarrassment. Not in a thousand years would I be getting Kagome pregnant. I hadn't even really thought much about having kids yet, anyway. And besides, I didn't even have any plans on performing the act to have kids with her, either, despite what Miroku seemed to think.
"You're blushing, Kagome! Sounds to me like you wouldn't mind being with this guy that way." Ayumi teased.
"Oh come on. If you saw him you would feel the same way." Kagome admitted, and I blushed deeper. She's . . . attracted to me? I mean, I already sort of suspected it, but . . . to hear it said out loud is another thing . . .
"So he's hot?" The first girl asked hopefully.
"He is pretty hot." Kagome confessed, and my heart began to pound. "But trust me, he's hot in an odd way. You wouldn't believe the way he looks."
"Sounds juicy to me! You've got to introduce us!" The second girl squealed.
"I thought you guys were just telling me that the 'bad boy persona' would land me in trouble?" Kagome asked tiredly.
"Well that is true, but we do need to assess his physical looks. We need to see if he's as cute as you say." The first girl replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, uh . . . he's not here right now." Kagome blatantly lied. I felt a rush of confusion, and then annoyance. Why is she hiding me from them? Is it because she's embarrassed of me? Well I'll show her! I slapped the cap onto my head and opened her room door, announcing my presence.
"Kagome, the bet's off. Sota came to me and it wasn't anything even about-" I started, but the three strange girls sitting in Kagome's room all were staring at me, and it was a bit unnerving. "Who are you girls?"
"I thought you said he wasn't home!" The girl with a yellow headband and shoulder-length black hair accused, looking to Kagome.
"Well, I thought he wasn't." Kagome gave me a look that clearly said I would be getting 'sat' later, more than likely.
"Well, we might as well introduce ourselves since he is here. I'm Yuka." The girl with the shortest brown hair announced. "This is Ayumi," She pointed to the girl who had wavy, shoulder length hair, and Ayumi smiled and waved at me. "And this is Eri." She pointed to the girl with a headband.
"So, you're Inuyasha? Is that your gang name?" Ayumi asked curiously.
"Huh? 'Gang' ?" I looked to Kagome, and she groaned.
"No, that's his real name." Kagome explained. "It's just a bit . . . strange. But it fits him, trust me."
"So do you bleach your hair or something?" Yuka asked, standing up and moving over to me, to get a closer look. The other two girls followed suit.
"And what about your eyes? They're so pretty." Eri added.
"And your skin . . . I've never seen skin like this." Ayumi replied.
"I was born with all of it." I replied, feeling a little overwhelmed by the girls swarming me.
"Wow, he is supercute, Kagome!" Yuka declared, glancing at Kagome over her shoulder. I blushed a little, surprised.
"Try gorgeous!" Eri corrected. "Your hair looks so soft! Can I touch it?"
"I . . . guess." Eri reached forward and touched my hair, and let out a girly squeal. "It's so soft!"
"Ooh, me next!" Ayumi reached forward and also tugged a lock of my hair. Kagome looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"So are you biracial or something?" Eri questioned. "You can't be Japanese, with your hair and your eyes."
"Well, technically speaking, he is." Kagome replied, standing up. Then I heard her mutter very quietly, "He is half demon after all . . ." She said it so low that the girls couldn't hear her, but my sensitive ears picked it up clearly.
"So if you're Kagome's boyfriend, are you going to give that Hojo a piece of your mind? He's been talking to Kagome a lot! He even asked her to the festival!" Ayumi informed me.
"Hojo?" My brow furrowed, but I was even more surprised that being called Kagome's boyfriend didn't really bother me too much. "Who the hell is that?" The girls looked at each other with wide eyes at the curse that fell from my mouth, and Kagome looked at me with wide eyes, shaking her head furiously, obviously telling me that cursing was off limits around these girls. I shut my big mouth, embarrassed.
"Wow, he really is a bad boy!" Yuka threw over her shoulder. But then she grinned. "I'm jealous Kagome!" She winked.
"I think he's sweet!" Eri said, smiling at me.
"He's dreamy!" Ayumi agreed, clapping her hands together.
"Are you gonna take Kagome to the festival tomorrow?" Yuka asked, and she gave me a pointed look that said I'd better be taking Kagome to the fesitval.
"Well, I uh . . . I planned on it."
"Good! All three of us will be going, so we'll see you there!" Ayumi replied with a smile.
"But you'd better watch out, Mr. Bad Boy." Eri warned me. "Hojo will be at the festival, and he's sure to put some moves on Kagome."
"Keh. Let him. It won't get him anywhere." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.
The three girls gasped. "You mean you're not worried?" Ayumi demanded.
"Why should I be?"
"Because your Kagome's boyfriend!" Eri protested.
"If she's loyal, I've got nothin' to worry about." I replied simply. "And I'll put this Hojo in his place if he tries anything."
"Oh, I'm excited!" Yuka exclaimed. "This is gonna be good! I can't wait 'til tomorrow!"
"All right, well, now that you guys have met Inuyasha, you should probably get going." Kagome finally announced loudly, and she looked extremely embarrassed as she pushed her three friends toward the door.
"Oh, right, silly us. You probably want some alone time with Mr. Bad Boy." Eri replied, and she and Ayumi giggled while Yuka made kissing faces. I blushed, along with Kagome.
"All right, that's enough, ya perverts!" I began to help Kagome push them out.
The three girls were laughing as they were pushed from the room. "All right, we're going!" Yuka relented. "Make sure to give him a good kiss for me, Kagome!" she teased, and the three girls headed down the steps, still laughing. Once the front door shut after them, Kagome groaned and put her face in her hands. "That was so embarrassing." she mumbled.
"Speaking of embarrassing . . . why did you give me that weird look when I came in? Are you embarrassed of me or somethin'?" I demanded, because this question was eating away at me.
"Of course not." Kagome said, surprised as she lifted her head. "I just knew they would swarm you like that and ask you embarrassing questions. I wasn't worried about it because of how you look."
"Oh, well . . . I thought that uh . . . Nevermind." I looked away, embarrassed I'd just presumed. I probably should have given Kagome a little more credit. I felt a bit like a jerk, honestly.
"Man, those guys can be fun, but they can also be overbearing. I wonder how Hojo will react when he hears about the 'bad boy'." Kagome giggled a little, and then sighed as she sat down on her bed.
I sat down beside her indian style, crossing my arms over my chest as I usually did. "Hmph. Who is this Hojo anyway?"
"Oh, no one important." Kagome surprised me by scooting over toward me, and I blushed when she leaned against me with a content sigh.
"Ka . . .Kagome, what are you doing?" I asked, my heart pounding a little.
"Well those three are convinced you're my boyfriend, and they're under the impression that we'll be doing a lot worse than this now that they're gone. So just relax." Kagome said calmly, her eyes closed as she leaned her head back on my shoulder.
Her body was warm and soft, and I couldn't deny that I was physically attracted to her, and when she was leaning on me like this, I . . . liked it. "Besides," Kagome added, snapping me from my thoughts, "I'm curious to see myself what Hojo will do when he finds out about you."
"It's not like I'm actually your boyfriend or anything." I replied, still blushing a little, but not pushing her away. I was supposed to make her fall in love, after all.
"Yeah, but it will look like you are tomorrow, if we play the cards right. It'll be better if my friends are convinced that you are. It will save us a lot of questions and explanations. And there's something else I noticed, too . . . how do you even know what the word 'boyfriend' means? I know they don't have that term in Feudal Japan." Kagome accused, looking up at me suspiciously.
"Keh. Unlike you, I've got some brains. It's not like it's hard to figure out. Judging by how you were talking about me, and how they were, I just concluded a 'boyfriend' must mean the same thing as 'lover'." I replied.
Kagome snorted. "You? Having brains? Don't make me laugh." She sighed, and leaned further against me, which distracted me from her insult. "Inuyasha?" She said, more softly.
"What is it?" I forced my voice to stay calm, despite the fact my heart rate was faster.
"I do like being close to you." She admitted, and I saw a pretty pink blush light her face, which served to make me blush all over again.
I had nothing to really say to that. "Kagome . . ." I said softly, wishing I knew what to say in this type of situation. I guess it would be a lie to say I don't like being close to you . . . And when you talk to me like that . . .
"Do you like being close to me?" She asked, and her voice was very shy. My heart skipped a beat.
"I . . . Well . . . it's not like I hate it . . ." I finally admitted, and my voice was a little shaky, to my embarrassment, showing just how clearly she affected me.
"You could just admit that you like it." Kagome replied, and her voice sounded heavier, and I could tell she was falling asleep, leaning on me like this.
"Keh. I didn't say that I liked it!" I forced myself to say, just to cover up my embarrassment.
"Hmph! I would use those beads on you if I wanted to ruin the moment. But I don't. So I'll save it for later . . ." Kagome's voice trailed off, and a few moments later, her breathing was deeper, and she had fallen asleep.
My gaze softened as I looked down at her. It's only been a few days, and Kagome has affected me in a way that Kikyo never did . . . I'm supposed to make Kagome fall in love with me, but I'm starting to wonder if it's going to be the other way around . . . I've got to be careful. I gently gripped her shoulders, and laid her down on the bed, pulling the covers up around her. I hesitantly reached down, and touched her cheek, feeling the soft, warm skin, and she stirred slightly in her sleep and leaned into my hand, though she didn't wake up. My heart did that funny flutter again, and I sighed quietly as I reluctantly withdrew my hand and went to sit on her window sill. It was growing dark outside, and it would be night soon. Just two more nights before the night of the new moon . . . I thought grimly.
"All right, part timer! We've got lots of work to do!" Kagome's grandfather announced, slamming his fist into the palm of his other hand determinedly.
"All right." I rolled back my sleeves and carefully tied the purple cloth he gave me at the back of my neck, to cover my ears from view, in case customers came to the shrine to purchase something.
"See that jar over there?" He pointed to a shelf near the ceiling, and on top of it was a large brown jar with swirling designs painted in a lighter brown color all over it. "Pick up that jar and bring it to the other shelf. And don't you dare break it either. That jar has years of history in our family.
"Got ya." I moved over to the jar and reached to pick it up, thinking, I hope Kagome doesn't find that iron cart of hers . . . I just tried to ride it once, because Sota tried to teach me, and I accidentally bent those 'handle bars' . . . she'll kill me if she sees it. Sota said he would hide it until I could come fix it.
"INUYASHA!"
"Eep!" I felt a shiver of fear go throughout me.
"Was that Kagome?" Grandpa turned to look at me over his shoulder.
"I-I didn't hear anything." I stammered.
"Then bring that jar over here, my boy." he instructed.
"Sure thing." I grabbed the jar, and was about to bring it over to him, when I heard the dreaded word.
"Inuyasha SIT!"
The jar crashed to the ground, along with my face, and it shattered. I lay there in pain, and I heard Grandpa's cries of distress. "No! The ancient family heirloom!" He wailed.
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" I bellowed back.
"He's in the shed!" I heard Kagome growl, and I "eeped" again, and bolted to my feet, racing from the shed and toward the house in a last desperate attempt at escape.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Kagome shouted. "SIT!"
My face hit the ground, stopping me in my tracks, and Kagome raced over to me, and planted a foot on my back, and began to stomp me into the ground. I let out a wail of pain each time her foot made impact. "I can't believe you ruined my bike! Do you have any idea what it's going to cost to fix it!" She stomped with every word.
"Foot . . . in my spleen . . ." I whimpered.
"Ooh!" Kagome growled in frustration, and finally removed her foot. "You're gonna pay for this, Inuyasha!"
And to think I'm working to buy her flowers . . . I thought weakly. The things I go through for this woman . . . "It was an accident." I protested, spitting a rock out of my mouth from my impact into the ground.
"Hmph! Well you'd better fix it! That's my only bike!" Kagome clenched her fists and stomped toward the house, anger in every step.
"Man, does she have a temper." I muttered.
"Oh my. That Kagome definitely doesn't get that temper from me." Mrs. Higurashi appeared by my side a moment later, and helped me to sit up. She laughed softly. "She must get it from her father. Don't worry so much about the bike. I'm sure you can fix it."
"Keh. Of course I can. I've slain thousands of demons in my time. What's fixing a 'bicycle' ?" I replied arrogantly, brushing dirt from my arms and legs.
Mrs. Higurashi just smiled. "You and Kagome are so alike but so different, young man. Well, you'd better get started on that bike if you want to be in Kagome's good favor by this afternoon."
"Huh? But I was working with jiji in the shrine to earn a little money . . ." I trailed off.
"Is that so? Well, I can pay you for fixing the bike, if that's what you want." Mrs. Higurashi replied, sounding surprised.
"No, you can't do that!" I protested. Accepting payment from Kagome's grandfather was one thing, but accepting it from her mother was another.
"Well, certainly you have a reason for wanting this money. So what were you wanting to buy with it?"
"I was just going to get flowers for Kagome. White lilies." I admitted, a little embarrassed.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Oh? Well, I think I can take care of that. While you work and fix up that bike, I'll go pick up the flowers for you, and I'll have them ready."
My ears perked up even underneath the bandana covering them. "Oh, well, uh . . . thanks." I stood up, and started moving in the direction of Kagome's bike, to fix it. Then I hesitated, and turned back to Mrs. Higurashi, who was standing up, brushing dirt from her apron. "I'm . . . sorry."
She looked at me, surprised. "For what?"
"For . . . breaking the bike. I mean." I replied, looking away.
"Oh, well, don't worry about that. As long as you fix it." She smiled at me, before she turned and headed back toward the house. I watched her curiously for another moment, and then I headed for the bike.
She's a lot like my mom. Is it bad that I feel like I actually belong here, with Kagome's family? They accept me in a way that I haven't ever been accepted in. Except for Sango and Miroku. But they're married, so it's hardly as if I can intrude. Hmph. I pushed my sleeves back and crouched on top of Kagome's bike, and gripped the handle bars, beginning to bend them with my superhuman strength.
"Hmph . . . stupid . . . metal . . . cart . . ." I grumbled, my arms shaking a bit as I bent the metal this way and that, trying to get it back to its original shape.
"How's it going?" I glanced up, seeing Sota approaching me cautiously.
I gave him a dark stare, and he flinched back, looking guilty. "You were supposed to hide the bike, ya little runt."
"Yeah, I know, but Kagome found me when I was trying to hide it . . ." he mumbled. "Sorry."
"Keh." I turned away and continued twisting the metal. Once I finished, I let go, and eyed my handy work. "Does that look about right?"
"It looks the way it's supposed to to me." Sota replied. "Nice job Inuyasha."
"All in a day's work, kid. As if this iron cart would get the best of me." I bragged, grinning to myself.
Sota grinned at me. I glanced at him, and for a moment, we exchanged those cheesy grins, and I felt a strange rush of affection for the kid. My eyes traveled down from his face, and that was when I noticed a strange purple bruise on his neck. I frowned.
"Hey, where'd ya get that from?" I asked, climbing off the bike and crouching down in front of him, to get a better look at the bruise.
Sota flushed and clapped a hand over his neck. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said hastily.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't play games with me, kid. Where did you get it from?"
"My my, look at the time!" Sota glanced down at his watch. "It's noon already! I just remembered, I have some homework to do before we go back to school tomorrow!"
"Oh no you don't!" I grabbed him by his collar as he tried to run, and yanked his shirt down enough so I could see the purple bruise more clearly. "Kid, who did this to you?"
"Um, I fell."
"On your neck?" I asked dubiously. "These look like fingerprints. Either you tell me who did this to you or I'm just gonna sniff 'em out from the scent of your neck and give 'em a piece of my mind."
Sota sighed. "All right all right! It was . . . a kid who goes to my school."
"A kid? What kid?"
"A kid named Renkotsu." Sota mumbled.
"So he's bullyin' you?" I demanded, feeling a rush of anger. Mainly because, I knew how it felt to be bullied. I had been bullied my entire life, and I couldn't stand to see someone else getting the same treatment. It pissed me off to no end.
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I just deal with it." Sota brushed my hands off.
"It does too matter. You don't need to 'just deal with it'. You need to give this kid a piece of your mind. You need to stand up to him!" I said firmly.
"What?" Sota looked up at me in surprise.
"Well? Are you a man or aren't you? You can't let this kid push you around! And you need to show him that he ain't gonna push you around anymore!" I went on. I clenched my fist, and held it up for him to see. "Do you see this, Sota? This shows that I'm not afraid of anybody, and they can't push me around. Now you do it."
Hesitantly, Sota clenched his fist and raised it for me to see. "Doesn't that make you feel more confident?" I asked, and after a moment, he shyly nodded. "Just doin' it makes you feel better, because it makes you feel stronger. You need to show this kid that you're stronger than him. So next time he does somethin' to you, you stand up to him. You got that?"
Sota nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Inuyasha . . . will you teach me to defend myself?"
I was surprised. And I also felt honored, that he wanted me to teach him. "Uh, sure kid. All right, if he comes at you like this, this is what you need to do . . . "
"Inuyasha?"
I glanced up from where I was playing with Buyo, seeing Kagome looking at me with a confused expression. "What is it?"
"Why is Sota beating up a sack full of flour?"
"Because he needs to learn to defend himself." I declared. "There's a punk who's been bullyin' him, and he said that he wanted me to teach him how to defend himself. So that's what I'm gonna do."
Kagome looked at me for a moment, and then her expression softened, and she smiled at me. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
I blushed a little. "Yeah. Well . . ." I cleared my throat, and looked down at Buyo, who simply 'meowed' up at me. "It's not 'cause I like the kid or nothin' . . ."
"Well, let's go see what he's learned." Kagome replied, and I stood up and followed her out of the house, where Sota was busy punching the sack of flour I'd found for him.
"Lookin' good, Sota." I called, and he grinned over at me. "I think you'll have it made for ya if you keep up that confidence."
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. "Sota, if you were being bullied, why didn't you just come to me?"
Sota looked a bit embarrassed. " 'Cause you're a girl, and girls don't fight. And . . . Inuyasha fights. So . . . I figured he would be able to help me out."
Kagome sighed heavily. "You know, I'm useful for stuff too! I can fight!"
I couldn't resist snorting. Kagome shot me a look, and she demanded, "You think I can't fight?"
"I don't think, I know."
"How dare you! When we first met I handled myself pretty well, I think!" Kagome snapped at me, and I could tell she was really getting fired up about this.
"That was why I almost killed you." I retorted, and Kagome's eye twitched.
"I'll show you, you pompous ass!" Kagome practically leapt on me, and came at me with her fists. One of her fists smacked into my head, and I cried, "OW!" before her other fist hit me in the arm.
"Hey, cut it out! Have you gone crazy?" I demanded, grabbing her wrists as she continued to tried to pummel me.
"Shouldn't have messed with her." Sota sighed as he watched.
"OW! HEY!" I bellowed, as she kicked me in the shin. "Would you give it a rest!"
"Not until I've put you in your place, you creep!" Kagome managed to free one of her fists and swung it at my face, and I ducked with wide eyes, my white hair flying.
"Geez, I get it alread-AH!" Kagome grabbed my hand and turned her back to me, and in a swift motion, she had flipped me onto my back.
I sat there for a moment, shocked, before my annoyance sparked. "That's it!" I grabbed her ankle and yanked, and she only looked smug for a moment before she cried out as she landed on top of me.
We rolled around on the ground, fists flying, snarling and growling at each other. Sota just watched with wide eyes, the sack of flour completely forgotten. "They're like bickering old ladies." He mumbled.
Mrs. Higurashi came outside to check on the bike, but her attention on the bike was quickly lost when she saw her daughter rolling in a heap across the ground with me. She raised her eyebrows. "I take it I missed something?" she asked Sota.
"Inuyasha hurt her pride." Sota said simply.
"I see. Well, those two probably need to start getting ready for the festival. Inuyasha, Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi called.
I shoved Kagome off me, and she hit the ground, growling at me. I stood up, panting, and brushed the dirt from my form. I glanced down at Kagome, who was sulking on the ground. "Keh!" I crossed my arms and walked over to her mother.
"I've got those flowers." Mrs. Higurashi whispered to me, winking.
"All right. Well, I fixed the bike."
"I see that. Also, your kimono is completely clean now, so you two can eat, bathe, and start getting ready for the festival. I'm sure it's going to be a fun night." Mrs. Higurashi smiled before she turned and guided Sota inside the house.
I glanced back at Kagome, who was still sulking on the ground. I walked over to her, and held my hand out to her. She looked up at my offered hand, and then turned away snootily. "Hmph! I don't need your help!"
"Did I really hurt your pride that much? Tch. Pathetic." I reached down and grabbed her hand nonetheless, ignoring her protests, and yanked her to her feet. Kagome gasped as she stumbled, and she landed against me. I gave a sound of surprise, and she slowly looked up at me, a blush on her face.
"Inuyasha . . ." She said softly, and her saying my name like that made my heart beat a little bit faster, and I was reminded of one of the times I was on the dock with Kikyo, and she had tripped and landed against me, much like this. I had embraced her, and worked up the nerve to kiss her.
And it was because of that memory . . . that I hesitantly stepped back from Kagome before anything could happen. "You should go inside." I said quietly.
Kagome flushed a little at my rejection, and her expression was hurt as she walked past me and entered the house. I sighed quietly under my breath before I followed after her.
After I had eaten and bathed and my hair was dry, I picked up my white undershirt and pulled it on, before I tugged my red kosode on afterwards. I slipped on my red hakama and tucked my kosode into them, before tying my obi. I sighed. It felt somewhat comforting to have my kimono back on from my own time. It was even better to know I didn't have to hide my ears or anything else tonight. I could even walk around barefoot.
"Wow, you really look like you belong in Feudal Japan with that getup." Sota commented, as I walked into the livingroom. Buyo meowed in approval.
"Keh. That's because I do belong there." I retorted. I sat down beside him, and Sota handed me a small bouquet of white lilies that were laying on the floor beside him. "Here. Mom said to give these to you."
"All right." I took the sweet smelling flowers. "Where's Kagome?"
"Probably still getting ready. It takes women forever to get ready for these kinds of things." Sota sighed.
"That's because it's women." I scoffed, as Buyo crawled over to me and began to paw at the long sleeves of my kosode.
"What's that about women?"
Sota and I looked to the doorway, and my jaw practically hit the floor.
Kagome stood there, wearing a light pink kimono with blue flowers all over it, and a fan in her hand. Her hair was pulled up, and a few black curls here and there were loose to frame her face. Her lips were painted a light red, and she had pink eyeshadow and her eyelashes were long and thick. There was a light flush over her cheeks, and she was looking at me shyly, obviously waiting for my opinion.
"Go on, say something." Sota muttered to me, elbowing me in the gut.
"Get off my back!" I looked back to Kagome, a blush still burning on my face. "You uh . . . you look . . ."
Kagome raised her eyebrows expectantly. She had truly never looked more beautiful before. How come I hadn't ever realized? I mean, sure, I had noticed Kagome was attractive the same way any other guy would, but I hadn't ever realized how beautiful she really was, and it made me feel like an idiot. I was not going to admit it, either. I would die before I did.
"What he's trying to say is that you look beautiful, sis." Sota finally spoke up for me.
"Uh, yeah. What he said." I muttered, and Kagome looked pleased for the most part, though I'm sure she would have rather heard it out of my own mouth.
"Well, we should probably get going now, if we don't want to be late." Kagome replied.
"Right." I stood up, and remembered I held the flowers in my hand. Blushing, my ears lowering slightly, I proffered them to Kagome. "These are for you."
"Oh, they're beautiful. And they're my favorites! Wait a minute . . . I don't remember telling you these were my favorites." Kagome commented, raising an eyebrow at me. "And how did you get money for these?"
"Well, I worked at the shrine and I fixed your bike." I replied, still embarrassed. "Just . . . stop askin' so many questions. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth?"
"I suppose you're right. Thank you Inuyasha." Kagome leaned forward, and my heart did that flutter when her soft lips pressed against my cheek. She withdrew, and pulled one of the flowers out of the bouquet, broke off some of its stem, and stuck it in her hair, behind her ear.
"Well, let's get going." Kagome set the rest of the flowers down and slipped her arm through mine, pulling me toward the front door.
"Wait! I need pictures!" Mrs. Higurashi danced in front of the door with a small, strange device in her hands.
"What's that?" I asked suspiciously.
"It's a camera. It takes pictures of whatever you aim it at." Kagome explained.
"Smile you two." Mrs. Higurashi instructed, and I didn't, of course, because the flash from the camera caught me off guard and I was momentarily blinded.
"We probably should have warned him about the flash . . ." Mrs. Higurashi said worriedly, as Kagome waved a hand in front of my spinning vision.
"We'll take just one more, so it won't bother your eyes so bad." Kagome's mother promised, and I shook my head to clear my vision.
"Smile this time, Inuyasha." Kagome elbowed me, and I rolled my eyes before I smiled a little as her mother took another picture.
Not long after that we were walking down the sidewalk toward the park, and I could hear loud music, mainly drums, ahead of us. I could hear people laughing and talking, and my sensitive nose picked up the scent of food.
"This festival must really be a big deal for all of you humans." I commented, seeing other people were dressed up in strange costumes and kimonos as we walked.
"I told you, it's to celebrate the winter solstice." Kagome replied, and she slipped her arm out of mine to instead reach down, and slip her hand around mine. I blushed a little.
"Yeah yeah, all that." I mumbled.
Kagome's P.O.V.
I glanced over at Inuyasha as we walked. He was looking in the direction of the festival, his ears perked up slightly from all the noise. I sighed quietly to myself. Here I am, on a date with the most gorgeous guy I've ever met . . . I was convinced that I wasn't ever going to get this lucky. Guess I did after all. I wonder what Hojo's going to think? I thought, a trickle of excitement going through me. I could only faintly hear the music coming from the festival.
Inuyasha's golden eyes flickered in my direction at the sound of my sigh, and my heart skipped a beat, as usual, when he looked at me so intensely. His eyes were sharp, and they were cold, at times, and guarded, but I was already beginning to see more gentle, sweeter sides of him. Especially with how he had handled Sota, and gave him courage to stand up for himself. I really owed Inuyasha for that.
"I never thanked you for fixing my bike. I mean, you were the one who ruined it in the first place . . ." I added in a mutter, before I continued. "But you did fix it. So, thank you."
"Keh. You've already thanked me for stuff. So just stop already." He muttered, and blushed a little. He was almost always blushing around me, and it was cute. I knew he liked me, but he would kill before he admitted it.
Not long after that, we reached the festival, and I looked around in fascination. There were booths set up everywhere, and the scent of food wafted pleasantly through the air. People walked around arm in arm, hand in hand, smiling and happy. Girls wore kimonos and costumes, and so did guys. I saw a few people wearing costumes far more bizarre than Inuyasha's red kimono and his dog ears, so I relaxed. No one looked at him twice as we walked between booths.
Off past the booths was a large fountain in the park, where couples were dancing to the music that the band was playing a bit of a ways from the fountain. I spotted Miroku and Sango standing by the fountain, smiling and dancing together, and headed over.
Miroku was indeed dressed as a traveling monk, with a dark blue kimono, and a purple sash over it, holding a golden staff in his hand. It suited him. Sango wore a tight black leather outfit with pink shoulder pads and pink armor, and her hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail. She was a demon slayer indeed.
"Wow, you guys look great." I greeted when I reached them.
"Kagome, you look exquisite." Miroku complimented with a smile, and Sango elbowed him, but it was all in good nature, I could tell.
"What are you supposed to be, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked curiously.
"A hanyou, right?" Sango guessed.
"Did the ears give it away?" Inuyasha asked, cocking his head to the side. It was sort of cute.
Sango laughed. "That, along with the claws and fangs. It really suits you, actually. So, half dog demon, I'm guessing?"
"Think you're pretty smart, don't ya?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her, but I could tell, somehow, he was relaxed, and he was teasing. I smiled up at him.
"What are you, Kagome?" Sango looked to me.
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to wear a pretty kimono. I thought about dressing up as a miko, but . . . I decided not to." It didn't escape my attention when Inuyasha stiffened a little at that statement, and I wondered why. I would have to ask later.
Now that I think about it . . . there's so much I don't know about Inuyasha. I know that he's a half demon, and he was sent here to take my locket and kill me . . . it's sort of ironic that we're now on a date. I still haven't been able to get information out of him about the locket, and why I have to die . . .I wonder if he still plans to hurt me. It was a hurtful, depressing thought, and it made me wonder if he was really planning to kill me.
I glanced up at Inuyasha as this thought ran through my mind, and when I saw he was already looking at me, I blushed a little. His expression was serious, and his hand tightened a little around mine. I wondered if he could smell my change in mood, and derived he probably could. It made my heart flutter. I didn't miss the tiny smirk that appeared on his lips when my heart quickened in response to him. I looked away, bright red. "Arrogant creep." I muttered, knowing he would hear me.
"What did you say?" He demanded, glaring at me.
"I'm hungry. Why don't we all go get some food?" I suggested, ignoring him.
"Sounds good to me." Sango let Miroku put his arm around her shoulders as the four of us walked over to a booth with food.
"Kagome! Hey Kagome!"
I looked over my shoulder, seeing Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi waving at us with smiles. I smiled back and waved, and the three headed over.
"Wow Kagome, you look beautiful." Ayumi complimented.
"You look pretty handsome too." Yuka said to Inuyasha, who flushed a bit and "Keh'ed", looking away from her to cover his embarrassment as usual.
"Hi Miroku, hi Sango." Eri greeted, and the couple murmured their greeting back.
"Where are your dates?" I asked the girls.
"Oh, we don't have any." Ayumi hooked her arms through Yuka's and Eri's. "We decided we'd all come together. We don't need dates." All three of them looked beautiful, wearing their kimonos and flowers in their hair, and I was surprised none of them wanted dates. They could each easily have one.
Oh well. I guess their minds don't work the same way. I wonder when these three will find their very own Inuyasha? Oh, what am I thinking? I've only known him a few days! Slow down, Kagome! To stop my ridiculous thought process, I said, "None of you will believe the day I've had."
"Is that so? Why don't you take a walk with us then and tell us all about it?" Yuka took my arm and Sango took Eri's arm and the five of us girls headed away from Miroku and Inuyasha.
"You should have seem Inuyasha with Sota." I started. "Apparently some jerk has been harassing Sota at school, so Inuyasha taught him how to fight." Sango, Ayumi and I laughed together, but Yuka and Eri looked alarmed.
"You mean your brother is going to follow in Inuyasha's delinquent footsteps?" Eri demanded.
"No, of course not! Inuyasha just taught him how to defend himself if this kid tries to hurt Sota. It's just for self-defense. Sota isn't going to go around starting fights." I replied, and Eri and Yuka seemed to relax.
"I actually . . . almost kissed Inuyasha." I admitted shyly, blushing a little.
"You say that like it's news." Eri commented, but when she saw my expression, her eyes widened. "You mean you haven't kissed him, and he's your boyfriend?"
"He's your boyfriend?" Sango asked, her eyebrows raising.
"Um, well . . . kind of." I remembered that this was new information to Sango. "I mean, he pretty much is, in a way . . . but no, I haven't kissed him."
"Well, I thought you had. You'd better get on that, before some other girl snags him. He's far too good looking for his own good." Yuka commented matter-of-factly. "You'd better stake your claim."
"I think it's romantic. You're waiting for it to be special." Ayumi gushed approvingly.
"I agree with Ayumi. Take as much time as you need for the relationship to grow." Sango informed me. "If you just jump into a kiss it will be all wrong. And I can tell you and Inuyasha like each other. So you've got to be careful."
"You think he likes me?" I asked, hopefully.
Sango smiled. "Definitely."
"He'd better like you!" Eri interjected. " 'Cause if he doesn't, then he's gonna pay!" I laughed.
"I'll give him a piece of my mind if he hurts you!" Yuka added, flashing her fist.
"Relax guys." I laughed, waving my hands.
"I definitely think he likes you, Kagome. You two have so much love when you look at each other." Ayumi said with a smile.
"Really?"
"Definitely. It's so romantic." Ayumi sighed. "I can't wait until my prince in shining armor comes for me."
I smiled. "I'm sure it'll be soon."
"I sure hope so. I don't mind going without a date occasionally, but I won't wait around forever." Ayumi waved her finger back and forth.
The five of us picked up plates and began to load food onto them at a nearby booth, and I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Inuyasha and Miroku were seated on a bench, talking and eating. I smiled. At least Inuyasha already knows Miroku from the past, so he can be relaxed. I thought. Some friendships really transcend time . . . what about love? Does it transcend time too?
"See, that's what I mean!" Ayumi snapped me from my thoughts.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.
"The way you were looking at him just now. It's written all over your face, Kagome. I think you're in love with this guy." Ayumi's eyes twinkled.
It's a little early for that, but they don't know how long Inuyasha have known each other, so it's their ignorance. But . . . I do like him. More than anyone I've ever met. I finally admitted to myself, glancing back at Inuyasha.
"I've never seen you look at anyone like that, Kagome." Sango said softly. "And I've known you my entire life. So it's about time."
I blushed a little. "Don't you guys get so excited. It's just Inuyasha."
"Mr. Bad Boy." Eri commented with a grin.
"Mr. Handsome." Yuka added.
After all of us finished eating, we threw our plates away. The other four girls stood talking, and I dusted my hands off, and turned around, only to find myself face to face with Hojo.
"Oh, Hojo. Um, hi." I greeted, a bit uncomfortable at his close proximity.
"Hi Kagome. Wow, you look great." He complimented politely, smiling at me.
"Oh, thank you." I replied, looking down at my feet.
"You didn't have to get all dressed up for me." He said, looking happy.
It wasn't for you. It was for Inuyasha. I thought, shocking myself. "Oh, well, it wasn't exactly for . . ." I started, but he startled me by taking my hands in his.
"Listen, Kagome, I tried to get a hold of you so I could ask you to this festival as my date, but it was hard getting a hold of you. And it looks like you're here by yourself, so, I was wondering if you wanted to be my date for the remainder of the festival?" Hojo asked hopefully. He did look handsome in his blue kimono, but compared to Inuyasha, Hojo was quite plain. I had never really turned Hojo down in the past, but now, I was at a point where I actually wanted to, and it surprised me.
But I didn't even have to. I felt clawed hands grip my shoulders, and suddenly I was behind a very irate Inuyasha. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, staring Hojo down. His voice was low and angry, and my heart pounded at the possessiveness in his voice. "You'd better have a good excuse."
"Uh-oh, enter bad boy." Eri whispered to the other three girls.
"This is gonna get nasty." Yuka added.
"They're going to fight over her! How romantic!" Ayumi gushed.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Sango muttered, as Miroku joined her.
"This is sure to be interesting." Miroku agreed.
"Excuse me, but I'm not sure we've met?" Hojo asked politely, watching Inuyasha with an apprehensive look on his face.
"No, I don't believe we have. So now's a good a time as any to become acquainted. You want to tell me how you have the nerve to flirt with Kagome like that with me around?" Inuyasha demanded. I was flattered, but worried that this would get out of hand.
"Last time I checked, she wasn't your property." Hojo replied calmly. "I've never seen you around her. And she's never mentioned anything about another guy."
"He's got nerve!" Eri gasped.
"That's because we're relatively new." I said, deciding I should step in before it got nasty. "Inuyasha is my boyfriend, Hojo."
Hojo looked at me, and he looked a bit hurt. "You never mentioned liking someone else."
"Well I . . ." That was true, but, I couldn't feel guilty for it, because I hadn't had a chance since Inuyasha and I had met. But Hojo didn't know that.
"Look, it doesn't matter, because I'm not your property either." I said, and gave Hojo a level glare.
"Then if you don't mind, could you lose the hostility? I had no idea Kagome was attached." Hojo looked to Inuyasha, who was still tense.
"The only reason I'm gonna over look it is because of that." Inuyasha replied darkly. "You should move on, buddy. Don't ever think of flirting like that with Kagome again."
Hojo mustered up the nerve to glare at Inuyasha as he brushed past him and vanished from our sight. "I almost feel sorry for the poor guy." I murmured, watching him leave.
Inuyasha glared at me. "Why would you feel sorry for that jerk?"
"Well, he had no idea I was attached, and you nearly ripped his head off. You've got such a temper." I replied, though with no real bite. I slipped my hand around Inuyasha's and he relaxed a little.
Miroku whistled, and shook his head. "What a hothead."
"You're telling me." Sango agreed.
"I have a feeling Hojo will be back." Eri muttered to Yuka, who nodded.
"He stepped in on your behalf. How romantic." Ayumi sighed.
I quieted as the sounds of a song I recognized drifted through the air. I smiled to myself, and I looked up at Inuyasha. "Come dance with me, Inuyasha!" I said happily, and tugged him toward the fountain before he could protest.
"Kagome, I don't know how to dance." He argued, looking embarrassed, as I stopped and turned to face him.
"Neither do I." I said cheerfully, and he looked at me like I was crazy as I put my hands on his shoulders and began to sway to the music.
"Kagome!" He protested, but Sango and Miroku moved over to us.
"Like this." Miroku took Inuyasha's hands and placed them on my waist, and his hands were big and warm.
Miroku began to dance with Sango to the music, and soon Inuyasha began to dance with me, and I smiled up at him brightly. My heart was pounding, and I was having a great time. Inuyasha met my eyes, and after a moment, for the first time, he smiled down at me, and his smile was beautiful. It wasn't a fake smile, like the one for the pictures my mom had taken, but it was real, and he looked happy. And I was sure my happiness was written across my face.
"I demand one dance with Kagome, in celebration of her first romance." Miroku declared, and he swept me from Inuyasha's arms. I giggled, and Sango put her hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and they resumed dancing.
"So, Kagome. Don't leave me out on details. Since when are you and Inuyasha dating?" MIroku questioned, raising his eyebrows at me.
"Well, it originally started off as a lie to Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi." I replied, and looked around, seeing said three girls were dancing together and laughing. I smiled to myself. "But . . . I don't know . . . it feels like somewhere along the way it became true."
"I see. Judging by Inuyasha's actions toward Hojo, it does seem true." Miroku agreed. "I'm happy for you, Kagome. I've never seen you smile this way."
I blushed a little. "Thanks Miroku."
"All right. I'm going to claim my man back. Because I love this song. And it's romantic." Sango tugged Miroku away, and he laughed at her possessiveness.
I put my hands back on Inuyasha's shoulders, and he placed his hands on my waist and we resumed dancing as if we hadn't been interrupted. I held his eyes, and blushed a little. "Are you having fun?" I asked softly.
His expression was serious, and he blushed a little at my intense gaze. "I think that's sort of a stupid question. What do you think?" He quipped, and I could see his fangs past his lips as he talked, and it was cute.
"I think . . . that you're having the best time of your life ever." I teased, and he blushed further.
"Keh. Don't flatter yourself." he retorted, but I could tell it wasn't an insult.
Gradually, my smile vanished, and my eyes lowered to his lips. I . . . I want to kiss him. It will be my first kiss, and . . . I don't think he'll push me away this time. I think he wants to kiss me too. I looked up at Inuyasha's eyes, and his golden orbs were very, very soft. He was blushing slightly too, and his lips parted, as mine did. He leaned down, and I leaned up, and Miroku and Sango noticed and seemed to wait in anticipation. Inuyasha's lips brushed mine, and I could hear Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi screaming and cheering.
"Ahaha, I'm having so much fun! This is grea-Oops, sorry!" A couple knocked roughly into us, and I stumbled back from Inuyasha. I felt an extreme rush of disappointment at the moment having been ruined, and Inuyasha looked just as annoyed as I was disappointed.
"Take your antics over there!" Inuyasha shoved the guy off him, and the couple retreated.
"I surely thought . . ." Miroku sighed.
"Fate has a funny way of working." Sango agreed, looking disappointed as well. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were also grumbling.
The mood was lost, and we weren't going to kiss now. I think it was kind of spoiled by the idiotic couple. I looked up at Inuyasha, who still looked annoyed. I rested my hands on his chest, and said softly, "Let's just finish dancing, ok?"
"Hmph." He placed his hands back on my waist, and we resumed dancing as the rest of the song played out.
When the song was over, another song I liked came on, so I began to dance with Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and Sango while Miroku and Inuyasha stood off to the side, observing all of us with amusement. All of us girls were dancing however we liked, just because it was fun. I laughed as Eri grabbed my hands and began to do the tango with me.
Inuyasha's P.O.V.
Kagome looks so happy with everyone. I really was going to kiss her . . . I've never wanted to kiss someone so much before. Even Kikyo. And she actually wanted to kiss me too. Damn that stupid couple. I thought, a little annoyed as I watched Kagome dance with all of her friends.
"Don't worry. You'll have another chance. Perhaps the timing was just wrong." Miroku reassured me, obviously knowing what I was thinking.
"Keh. I'm not worried about it. I know there'll be another chance." I murmured, never once taking my eyes off Kagome. Being with her tonight . . . after everything that had happened . . . I was beginning to realize that I was developing feelings for the little annoyance. Whether I wanted to or not.
"So . . . I heard you and Kagome were dating." Miroku commented.
I glanced at him. "What of it?"
"I was under the impression that it was just an act for Kagome's friends. When did it become real?" Miroku asked slyly, arching an eyebrow suggestively at me.
I blushed. "Uh . . . Keh. It didn't."
Miroku smiled. "Kagome thinks it's real now. Why not you?"
"Well I . . . I guess . . . if she wants it to be, then . . . it is." I finally relented, a little embarrassed.
"I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear it." Miroku replied, smiling at me.
The rest of the festival was pretty eventless, and I had to admit despite myself, I had a good time with Miroku, Sango, Kagome, and even her other friends. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi all forced me to dance with them, and Kagome didn't seem to mind. She actually laughed at my expression, and I glowered at her, promising her in my expression I'd get her back.
Kagome and I walked home in silence, her hand in mine, and for once, she hadn't reached over to take my hand first. Our hands had met in the middle, and Kagome had smiled at this action. I couldn't resist smiling slightly back. It had been years since I'd smiled, and . . . it was a good feeling, to share it with Kagome. She took the pain from Kikyo away.
"It's late." Kagome sighed, as we stepped into the house. "So everyone's probably asleep." I followed her up to her room, and closed the door after us.
"Well, you should get to sleep yourself. It's been a long night." I commented, and I walked over to her window before seating myself indian-style on her window sill. I looked away respectfully as Kagome changed out of her kimono into her pajamas, and let her hair down, to let it tumble in black waves down her back. The fragrance of her skin hit my nostrils, and I resisted the urge to growl in desire, telling myself it would be wrong to take advantage of her so early right now.
Kagome removed the lily from her hair, and she put it to her nose and inhaled, before she smiled at me. She walked over to where I sat, and leaned forward, pecking me affectionately on the cheek. I blushed. "Thanks for coming to the festival with me. I had fun." She said softly.
"Hmph, yeah, well . . . don't get used to it." I mumbled, and she just smiled wider before she set the lily down on her nightstand and laid down, closing her eyes.
I watched her face until she fell asleep, and I looked back up at the moon, which was almost gone. Tomorrow, there would be no moon. I just hope I can find a way to hide from Kagome tomorrow. I don't want her to see me in my human form and see me that weak and vulnerable. It's just too complicated. I can't control my emotions well in that form, anyway. It's best if I'm away from her. I thought.
Sorry Kagome . . .
Ok. The relationship took a romantic turn in this chapter, so, you can see that they're bonding already. Which is good, and definitely needed. Leave me some feedback to let me know what you think. :)