.Chapter Seven
Hello again, everyone. I'm finally back with another chapter (though much later than I expected .;) College has really been eating up my spare time. So I really tried to make this one longer for you guys seeing as how the previous chapter was kind of short. So here you have it.
Enjoy!
…
Kagome went about her living room gathering the remainder of the papers that were left lying about. She was glad that she had finally gotten her project out of the way. She hoped that she would at least pass that class with a decent score. But now that the Well was re-opened, she knew that she would have to dedicate most of her time to jewel hunting with her friends again. Kagome's mind drifted at that thought.
Ever since Kouga showed up at her home, she had wanted nothing more than to just jump back through the well and see her friends again, especially Inuyasha. She thought back to the last time she had talked to him; they didn't exactly leave on very good terms. They had had just another stupid argument and it was really silly too, now that she thought about it. But now that the well was open, she'd finally be able to go back and return to her normal life with her friends. She thought it funny that she would consider jewel hunting and fighting demons were aspects of a "normal" life.
And speaking of the cocky wolf demon, she briefly pondered what he and Souta had been up to all day. She hadn't heard a peep from the pair since they tried to spy on her and her friends earlier. She knew Kouga must've been upset having been isolated with her brother for so long and she sure wouldn't blame him. She could only stand her little brother for so long, too.
Kagome figured the boys would be really hungry too. Her mother had called and explained that she would be working late tonight, which meant that they would be on their own for dinner tonight. She had thawed out two steaks for Kouga and a hamburger for Souta earlier. She was supposed to have prepared lunch for the boys, but she had gotten so carried away with her schoolwork that she had totally forgotten. Oh well, they would just serve as dinner for them instead.
Kagome quickly prepared Souta's sandwich along with some French fries but wasn't quite sure what she should do with Kouga's steaks. She knew that being a wolf demon he would naturally eat his meat raw. That's what wolves usually did, but something within Kagome's human mind just didn't allow her to serve anyone absolutely raw meat. Kagome decided that she could find a suitable balance by cooking the meat rare instead. After she was satisfied with what she prepared, she headed upstairs towards Souta's room.
Kouga could recognize Kagome's footsteps a mile away and his tail began to thump against the ground in anticipation. Souta was reclining on his bed while watching cartoons. Just a few minutes earlier, the pair managed to make a sneaky entrance through Souta's bedroom window, successfully dodging Kagome and her friends as they were leaving her house. Souta couldn't be any happier now that they were finally back at home.
Soon, Kagome emerged through the door holding a tray with two plates. "Anybody hungry?" she said in her usual cheery tone.
Souta instantly jumped up and darted over to his sister to enthusiastically inspect the food she brought. "Yeah! I'm starved!"
However within a few short moments, Kouga managed to take the tray from Kagome, gave it to Souta and instead took her hands firmly within his own as he usually did. He gazed intently into her eyes and leaned in close to her, an air of seriousness about him. "Kagome…I've missed you so much today. You have no idea how much it pains me to be separated from you for so long." He breathed huskily as he leaned in closer.
Kagome was completely caught off guard by his gesture and her face flushed to a bright red color as he leaned in closer. She finally found words to speak with and she immediately broke free from his grasp and busied herself with serving Souta his meal instead.
"Uhm...here you go Souta, this one's for you." Kagome said as she handed him the plate with the sandwich.
Souta decided to completely ignore the odd moment between Kouga and his sister. His young mind was much too occupied by the food in front of him to give it any further thought. "Alright! Thanks Kagome!" he cheered happily.
"Kouga, I made this for you." She handed him the plate and smiled sweetly, secretly trying to shrug off the lingering embarrassment of what had just transpired a moment ago. Kagome still couldn't bring herself to quite understand why Kouga's gestures seemed to have more of an effect on her than usual. He had always done these sorts of things before in the past. So why did it cause her to fluster so much now?
Kouga accepted the plate with gratitude and a satisfied smirk. "Kagome, I really appreciate you doin' this for me. You didn't have to."
"Nonsense, I'm sure you two must've been hungry hanging around here all day. It's my pleasure, really." She said with another sweet smile.
"Yeah, you bet!" Souta agreed. "Especially after everything me and Kouga did today, he's so awesome Kagome!"
Kagome couldn't help but become curious at that. "Yeah, what did you two do all day anyways? You know, I should be pretty angry at you guys for trying to sneak up on me earlier." Kagome shot the pair a knowing look.
Souta, whose mouth was now filled with fries, gleamed at the chance to tell Kagome all about his amazing day with the wolf chief. Unfortunately, his words came out as nothing more than muffled grunts which caused Kagome to giggle. Kouga decided that it was probably best that Kagome didn't know about his little modern day excursion. "Yeah well he just showed me some of his stuff like that magic picture box over there" he said pointed over to the television.
Kagome offered a content smile. She knew all too well how annoying her little brother could be at times, but she was glad that Kouga seemed to be able to get along with him well enough. "Come on Kouga, I'm done with what I needed to do. Would you like to eat your meal in my room?" she offered.
He offered her a smirk. "Of course Kagome, I'd love to." The two then exited Souta's room with Kagome leading the way. As Kouga left, he tossed Souta one last look before offering him a farewell salute, which the boy eagerly returned.
There was no way that Kagome could've prepared herself for the way that Kouga wolfed down the meal she prepared for him. Sure, she had seen Inuyasha take down ramen pretty easily but steak meat was in a whole other category. Kouga gobbled down the two thick pieces of meat almost effortlessly and Kagome wondered how he could've possibly swallowed such huge chunks at a time without choking. He finished his brutish display by licking his claws clean of whatever juices remained from the steak.
"Kagome that meat was delicious! I've never tasted cooked meat like that before" he said with a satisfied grin. Then he caught Kagome staring at him and realized how barbaric he must've looked to the young priestess. Kouga suddenly felt slightly embarrassed by his actions.
"Sorry Kagome, I didn't mean to…"
Kagome smiled sweetly. "No need to apologize Kouga" she began as she reached for a napkin and began to wipe away excess juices from his mouth. "It's alright"
Kouga couldn't help but return her smile. He found this girl to be simply alluring in so many ways than she possibly could've ever understood. The way she moved, smelled, the way she spoke to him with such kindness, and even the concern she showed for him. He knew he was foolish to think that she treated him any different than she would treat anyone else though. Kagome was a beautiful soul, one always reaching out to others; it was in her nature. A great part of him yearned for her to devote her compassion towards him completely.
"So, now that I'm done with everything here, are you ready to head back to the Feudal era Kouga?" Kagome asked, disrupting his thoughts.
The answer was no. He wasn't ready. Kouga knew that once they returned to the past, Kagome would be reunited with mutt face and her friends. Ultimately, things would return to the way they always had been between them. They would return to being nothing more than mere friends who ran into each other every now and again. Of course he'd flirt with her and get a rise out of Inuyasha, which would most likely lead to a petty argument between him and the half breed. Then she and her friends would continue on their journey, and he, his. Kouga didn't want that, he wanted so much more from his encounters with Kagome. He wanted something special. As selfish and greedy as it was, he wanted to have Kagome all to himself for once. Kouga didn't think that his passing through the well was just pure coincidence. He knew that he was allowed through for a reason. This entire ordeal got him into believing that he was destined for Kagome, and that's why he was allowed into her world.
This whole situation with the well had provided a chance for him to be alone with her for once. He was finally given the chance to express how he truly felt to her. But that chance was ruined because she became busy with her own duties and now that she was done, she wanted to run back to her dog. Kagome had no desire whatsoever to be alone with him, and why should she? Kouga knew deep down that Kagome desired Inuyasha as a lover and him only as a companion. But something within Kouga didn't allow him to completely accept that harsh reality. He was still determined to try.
But gazing into her eyes and seeing the anticipation building up within them, Kouga couldn't help but relent to her. "Sure Kagome, let's get going before it gets late."
Kagome had most of her things prepared in about half an hour. She missed the feeling of hurrying about her home and packing various supplies for her friends into her yellow backpack. Kouga sat on the couch and looked on in interest as Kagome now darted around the kitchen, picking up various food stuffs and tossing them into her bag. Deciding that she had packed enough things, she hefted the bag onto her back and gave Kouga a sweet smile.
"Let's go."
Kouga nodded and got up from his spot on the couch. A loud call to inform Souta that she was leaving, and Kagome was headed to the front door. Kagome passed the television she had turned on to keep Kouga occupied as she was getting ready and something peculiar caught her eye.
"A young man who carried a young boy on his back miraculously rescued a small child from certain death today" the voice on the television began.
Kouga noticed Kagome's attention had been drawn away so he had a look at the picture box and saw himself and Souta from earlier that day. Now he was definitely convinced that the television operated with some sort of magic. There was just no way it could've known what he and the kid did earlier.
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a camera zooming in on what seemed to be Kouga carrying her brother on his back and sailing from a building with a small child in his arms. She got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as the figure landed, revealing Kouga and Souta's faces to the camera.
"It was simply unbelievable! According to eye witnesses at the scene, this man seemed to appear out of nowhere and saved this little girl's life!"
Kagome was utterly mortified that her little brother and Kouga had not only left the house, but had been seen by that many people…and ultimately ended up on the evening news! She almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Kouga…is that you?" she asked dumbly. Who else could it be?
Kouga just scratched the back of his head nervously. He was sort of hoping she wouldn't find out, but it seemed as though the magic picture box had its own plans for him. "Yeah well…me and Souta may have stepped out for a bit earlier" Kouga spoke slowly.
"Kouga! I told you not to leave Souta's room and now you're all over the evening news? Oh, what am I going to do now? Do you have any idea what this means? I hope somebody doesn't recognize Souta from somewhere and start asking questions…" Kagome groaned and rubbed her forehead in frustration.
He rested his clawed hands on her shoulders and massaged her gently. "Relax Kagome. Your brother and I just went out for a bit of fresh air and exercise for a few minutes. A human child got herself into some trouble so I helped her out is all" he spoke from behind her as he watched her shoulders begin to ease under his touch.
She had no idea a man's hands could feel so heavenly on her shoulders. Kagome couldn't help but melt from Kouga's touch; it felt absolutely exquisite and she found herself biting her lower lip to stifle out a moan that was threatening to surface. Kouga worked his way from her shoulders towards her neck where his touch became even more tender and slow, yet unyielding. He finished his brief lavishing of her body by running his hands one final time over her shoulders and down the length of her arms.
Kagome silently mourned the loss of his touch and also felt slightly guilty for doing so. Regaining her composure, she cleared her throat and shifted her weight slightly. She gave a heavy sigh and a hand flew to the spot on her neck where Kouga's had been just moments before. Kagome's anger and frustration had melted away, just like that. "Well was the little girl alright at least?" she asked almost breathlessly.
A wolfish grin from Kouga answered that question. "Not a hair was harmed on that kid's head while she was with me of course." He folded his arms triumphantly and grinned down at Kagome, though he was amused more so by the way she had responded to his touch. He loved that he could evoke such a reaction from her.
"Right then, let's get going." Kagome couldn't believe that she had just let Kouga off the hook that easily. How he had managed to dampen her anger with that brief massage, she would never know, and she wouldn't dare to ask either.
The pair approached the shrine where the Bone Eater's well was housed. Kagome slid open the doors and slowly advanced toward the well itself, her heart racing a hundred miles a minute. She had been fearful that the Well may not work again and that both she and Kouga would be trapped in her time. Kouga looked over to Kagome whom he could tell was becoming increasingly nervous.
"Ready, Kagome?" he asked softly.
She nodded. Without warning, Kouga swooped her up in his arms and leaped into the darkness below. Ethereal blue lights surrounded the two and Kagome experienced the familiar feeling of floating as she traveled through the ages. Within moments the two landed on cool, damp earth and it was in that instant that Kagome knew that she was back. She looked excitedly over at Kouga and she suddenly felt giddy with relief. She threw her arms around his neck as she broke out into fits of laughter.
"Kouga, I can't believe it! We're really back!"
Kouga was eager to return Kagome's embrace though he didn't quite share her enthusiasm. He was dreading every passing moment, which would lead to his and Kagome's departure. He didn't want to think about that right now though. Taking her heavy backpack from her, he gave her one of his handsome smirks instead.
"Let me take this for you." He adjusted the straps onto his back. "Let's get you outta this well and back to your village Kagome." And with that Kouga leaped out of the ancient well with the girl that he loved in his arms.
The sun had almost fully retreated beyond the horizon and the sky was tinted with a swirl of violets and reddish hues. Deep blues also meshed into the artistic display as the night began to take its hold on Feudal Japan. The air was slightly humid. The surrounding vegetation glistened and shimmered with the remnants of rain showers earlier that afternoon. The low humming of insects fluttering about was among the only sounds that could be heard in the surrounding area; all else was silent.
Kagome breathed in deeply and exhaled the sweet, evening air, a look of pure contentedness upon her face as Kouga gingerly set her down onto the damp grass.
"Ah! It's so great to be back! I still can't believe it Kouga, we made it though!" She exclaimed with arms outstretched towards the heavens.
The wolf prince couldn't help but find Kagome's excitement to be contagious and pretty soon he found himself mirroring her own grin with a fanged one of his own. Smiling, that was something he'd seemed to be doing a lot around Kagome.
"Good to have you back Kagome. At least with you here, I can keep an eye on you to make sure dog breath doesn't put you in any serious danger" he joked with a huff.
Kagome just casually shrugged off his remark. "Well I'm sure he and the others are waiting for me back at Kaede's village. I better get going before it gets dark. It's just a short distance away. Would you like to walk there with me?"
Kouga saw this as a chance to finally speak with Kagome privately about how he felt. He knew that he wouldn't have a lot of time to do that, but he wanted to at least start somewhere. "Of course. I wouldn't let you walk through a dark forest by yourself, Kagome. I'll stay with you until you're safe with your friends again" Without warning, Kouga took her small hand within his own which caused a small gasp to escape the girl's lips.
She hadn't expected him to do that. Kagome was so used to Kouga just sweeping her up and carrying her away that walking side by side, hand in hand with him seemed quite unusual. As foreign as this was, Kagome found that she certainly enjoyed the experience.
The two soon entered the forest and walked along a beaten path that Kagome had recognized would lead them into the village. They had been walking in relative silence, the sounds of nature and their footsteps being the only noises around them.
"Kagome, why do you travel with dog breath?" Kouga spoke with eyes trained on the path ahead of them.
She was a caught off guard by that question but Kagome decided to answer it nonetheless. "Well Kouga I'm the whole reason the sacred jewel shattered to begin with" She looked up towards him. "I travel with Inuyasha to help find the shards so we can repair it. And of course to defeat Naraku…" Kagome wasn't sure where Kouga was going with this. She was positive that he knew all of this already.
"Yeah I get that. But what I mean is, almost every time I come and visit you Kagome, the dog has you in some kind of danger" He spoke still not looking at the girl beside him.
"Well we're always fighting demons, there's no way around that. And besides, I'm not completely defenseless ya know. I can hold out on my own, and then there's also Sango and Miroku to help out, too. If anything - "
"He should protect you better Kagome."
"Kouga, I…" Kagome wasn't sure what to say next. She stared at the wolf demon who still kept his eyes focused ahead.
He could feel his own blood beginning to boil within his veins at just the thought of how many times he had seen Inuyasha endanger his woman's life. Yet she insisted on remaining loyal to the dog and he couldn't figure out why. Inuyasha always went around swinging that giant sword of his without a second thought whenever they confronted a new enemy. If it were up to Kouga, he'd be absolutely sure that Kagome was safe and out of harm's way first. Kouga would be absolutely devastated if something were to ever happen to his Kagome.
"Kagome, all I'm sayin' is that the mutt does a pretty lousy job at keeping you safe. If something were to happen to you out there…" Kouga's eyes averted to the forest floor. He didn't even want to finish that thought.
'I've never seen him like this before. He seems so sincere. But where is all of this coming from all of a sudden?' He felt a warm touch on his upper arm and looked over at Kagome who now gave him a soft, almost apologetic smile.
"Kouga..." she began "I really appreciate your concern for me but I think Inuyasha does a really great job at protecting me when I need him. You really don't need to worry about me okay?" To him, she didn't really sound that convincing. And who was she trying to convince anyways, him or herself? It was as though she had just given him some sort of generic answer, as if to only put his fears at rest.
He shouldn't have been surprised; he knew she would probably say something like that. Her affections for the mutt were undeniable so he should've expected that she would defend the turd's honour during his absence. The scent of burning wood and cooking meat wafted into his sensitive nose and it was then that Kouga realized that they had arrived at the human village.
"There it is Kouga, come on" she said pointing a short distance away.
Kouga instinctively wrapped a possessive arm around Kagome's waist. He drew her to him as they walked through the village and bared his fangs as the two received stares and whispers from several villagers who had been preparing for the oncoming evening. The wolf detested being stared at and kept Kagome close and growled as a warning to anyone that might try to approach the two. However, he also fancied the idea of Inuyasha's first glimpse of Kagome after several months of absence to be with her tucked under him, so he pulled her even tighter towards him.
Kagome just laughed a bit nervously at the gesture. She figured that Kouga must've been uncomfortable around so many humans so she allowed his odd behaviour just this once. She didn't ever think that she would understand canine behaviour.
The two came upon a modest sized hut near the centre of the village that Kagome instantly recognized to be Kaede's. Kagome called out to the old woman, who she hoped would be residing inside.
"Kaede, are you home?"
"Kagome! Is it really ye child?" they heard a muffled voice from the inside.
Moments later, the elderly woman emerged from her home and her narrowed eye widened at the sight of Kagome and Kouga. Kagome's face lit with a radiant smile as she ran to greet Kaede.
"Kagome, tis unbelievable! Ye managed to pass through the Bone Eater's Well again?" she inquired as she embraced Kagome.
Kagome returned her hug, absolutely thrilled to see her mentor again after all this time. "Well actually I wasn't the one who passed through the Well first…" Kagome shifted her gaze to the handsome wolf demon behind her who stood proudly with his arms folded across his chest.
Surprise masked Kaede's face as her gaze also drifted to the wolf demon and she made the connection almost instantly. "The wolf has broken the Well's seal? Are ye positive, child?" Kaede had expected that Kagome would trigger a reaction from the Well herself and find her own way through one way or another, simply because of her spiritual powers and her connection with this world. Surely a demon could not have done such a thing.
"A seal? What are you talking about Kaede, do you know what happened to the Well in the first place?"
Her aged face contorted as she went deep into thought, trying to figure out the best way to explain the situation. "Several months ago the most peculiar thing happened to the Bone Eater's well which I am sure that ye are quite aware of. It would not allow Inuyasha to pass through under any circumstances whatsoever. Methinks that a spell had been cast upon the Well but if there were any traces of sorcery, it was surely very skilfully disguised."
"At first I thought that Inuyasha sealed off the Well himself because he was mad at me like last time but after he didn't show up for several weeks, I knew something was really wrong" Kagome mused.
"Aye child, it is strange indeed. Whoever sealed the Bone Eater's Well is obviously aware of the power which it possesses." Kaede pondered. "Whoever must have done this was intent on preventing you from passing back into this era."
"You mean Naraku must have had something to do with this." Kouga spoke, confirming what Kaede had been thinking.
Kagome's heart dropped at the mere mention of the wretched hanyou's name. Ever since Kagome had been able to travel into the warring era, she and her friends had not even dared to breathe a word of her true origin to anyone else outside of their group. Kouga had found out for himself, and now Naraku knew too? Dread seeped through her as she contemplated the mere idea that their arch enemy now knew of her secret. Her mind reeled as she thought about what this could actually mean for her, as well as her family.
"But if he was intent on keeping me trapped in my own time, then why didn't he just destroy the Well while I was gone? It's doesn't make any sense." Kagome pondered aloud.
"Kagome, the Bone Eater's Well is still quite a mystery to us all. Perhaps for some reason or another, Naraku is incapable of destroying it…" Kaede ventured.
She wasn't quite sure what to make of that theory, but Kagome now held a renewed determination to rid the world of the wretch. Though, she still couldn't help but feel mortified that Naraku now knew that she was from 500 years in the future and he had already tried to seal her there too. His plan would've worked too, had it not been for Kouga. She would have to be on high alert from now on when travelling back and forth between the ages.
"And you say that this wolf passed through the Well?" Kaede asked, still in relative disbelief. "But how can that be possible?"
"I'm not too sure, Kouga here just happened to show up on my doorstep out of nowhere" Kagome didn't want to go into detail about Kouga rescuing her from being raped by a stranger.
Kouga came forward and wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist again. "Yeah, what matters is Kagome is here now."
"Kaede, do you know where Inuyasha and the others are? Did they come back and stay in the village since I left?" She was surprised Inuyasha hadn't scented them out and come over already. She was sure that if he smelled Kouga anywhere near the village, he'd be there in an instant.
"Aye, they have. They departed but only three days ago in search of the jewel shards again."
"They…left?"
A curt nod from the elderly woman confirmed what she had said.
That statement truly hurt Kagome in ways that she didn't think were possible. They had left to search for the jewel shards…without her? But how? She was one of the most crucial assets to the group; they needed her to sense out the fragments. Without her, then how would they know where to look next? Unless they did have a jewel detector with them after all, but then that could only mean…
Kikyo.
She forced that dreadful thought out of her head immediately. There was no way that Inuyasha and her friends would ever replace her with Kikyo, would they? No, Kagome didn't think that her friends would ever allow that to happen. But on the other hand, she had been gone for so long, maybe they lost faith that she would ever return to the Feudal era. Heck, she had even started to believe that she would never return either. Kagome only hoped that wasn't the case. Her head began to cloud and her stomach whirled at the thought of Kikyo travelling alongside her friends…taking her place, walking in her shoes.
Kagome tried to rationalize this out. Maybe they had heard some new piece of information and decided to investigate the matter? They may have had new leads on Naraku's whereabouts. Kaede hadn't actually mentioned anything about her dead sister since they arrived, so she figured that she need not jump to conclusions just yet. It was then that Kagome felt the reassuring squeeze in her side that brought her out of her thoughts. She looked over to see Kouga smiling softly down at her, his ocean blue eyes piercing into her own with their warmth and sincerity. The wolf demon had sensed her unease and desired to comfort her.
"Don't worry Kagome, why don't I take you to meet your friends? I'll track them down for you"
"You'd do that for me, Kouga?"
He gave his trademark wolfish smile, "Anything for you my love. As much as I hate leaving you with dog breath, I know you probably miss your friends very much. And besides, I did tell you I'd take you back to your friends didn't I? I intend to keep that promise. Any idea which direction they headed in, lady?"
Kaede couldn't roll her eye any harder at Kouga's blatant display of gallantry. "Unfortunately, I am not certain, wolf. At the time of their departure, I was busy tending to my herb garden; I did not see them off."
"I'll just havta sniff em' out then." He looked over to the girl next to him. "It'll be hard to pick up a scent since it rained earlier this afternoon."
Kagome just shook her head. "I really don't mind. They couldn't have gotten that far right?" 'And with Kouga's added speed from the Shikon jewels, we should find them in no time' Kagome mentally added.
"Ye intend to leave tonight?" Kaede said as she peered up at the now dark sky. "Surely there are demons prowling the wood at such an hour. Don't be foolish, stay for tonight and leave at sunrise."
Kouga, who didn't particularly care to sleep in a village full of humans who clearly didn't trust him, opted to head out anyways. "Kagome is always safe with me old lady. I can take on any demon that dares to pick a fight with me."
The old woman rolled her eye again. She had no idea which was more brazen or perhaps more idiotic, the wolf or the dog. "Well if ye insist, just be careful" she warned.
"Alright then, it's settled." Kouga said as he readjusted Kagome's massive backpack on his shoulders and scooped her up into his arms.
Kagome waved goodbye as she settled comfortably in Kouga's arms "Don't worry, we'll be fine Kaede. If you see the others, would you tell them that I came back?" She received a silent nod from Kaede in response and with that, the two were off in a whirlwind. By the time Kaede lowered her arm which shielded her from the airborne debris, the two were gone.
Kagome fought to keep her hair out of her eyes as the wind tossed and tussled it out of her control. She squinted as the crisp, chilly evening breeze zoomed passed her face, giving her the sensation of a thousand tiny knives scraping at her cheeks. Her eyes began to water from the fierce winds rushing against her face. She looked all around her. The foliage, the hills, everything just seemed to be lost in a blur as they sped onward. She couldn't help but wonder how fast Kouga was going right now.
Kagome looked up at his handsome face as he skilfully avoided any trees or stray logs in his path. Kouga had been keeping this pace for a little over an hour now and Kagome couldn't help but be just a little impressed by his endurance, even if he did have help from his sacred jewel shards. The pair had traveled mostly in silence. Kagome would occasionally comment on something, which would only be muffled out by the passing wind, making any sort of conversation difficult.
His nose couldn't detect any scent whatsoever of dog breath and her friends, though Kouga was rather pleased that he hadn't. He was glad that he was able to spend more time with Kagome, rather than having to deliver her back to the puppy right away. This was his second chance. That dog didn't deserve her anyways, he thought to himself. Kouga's ears picked up the light gurgling of a nearby river. He figured it would be an opportune moment to take a quick break, not that he needed it, but to give the girl he'd been carrying for awhile a chance to stretch her legs.
He veered off to the left in the direction where he knew the river would be and they arrived within minutes. Kouga set Kagome down on her feet before he walked over to the water to drench his own face with the cool liquid.
"We're stopping?" Kagome questioned.
Kouga turned to face her. "Yeah. I figured you'd want a break from havin' me carry you around all the time" he finished with a small chuckle.
Kagome smiled. "Well it does feel good to walk around for a bit" she finished with a stretch and a satisfied sigh. She could've sworn one of her legs was beginning to fall asleep.
"So no sign of em yet, huh?" she quietly asked.
Focusing his gaze back to the stream Kouga shook his head. "The rain's washed away all traces of their scents which I suspect weren't all that strong in the first place seeing as how they left awhile ago"
The priestess studied his expression thoroughly and he seemed to be truthful. She knew Kouga didn't like Inuyasha at all, but she didn't think that he would ever lie to her about this. She trusted Kouga enough to take his word for it. Kagome knew that they would find her friends and very soon too, she hoped. They would just have to keep looking.
"Well then, how about some dinner, Kouga? Are you hungry?" she offered. Without waiting for a response Kagome began to empty a few things from her backpack which still sat comfortably on Kouga's shoulders.
The wolf slid the bag off his back so Kagome could get what she needed. "Yeah, I'll go catch us some fresh meat. I think I passed a foal back there a few minutes ago" he said standing up and brushing off his fur wrap.
"You don't have to go through the trouble. I've got some food right here in my bag. Now where is it…" she drifted off as she busied herself with rummaging through her backpack. With a triumphant "There it is!" Kagome revealed a plastic container with bright colors on it.
"What's that?" Kouga's face contorted with curiosity.
It didn't take Kagome very long to prepare two packages of ramen noodles which now boiled in the small pot before them. Kouga looked on in interest at the strange method Kagome used to prepare the even stranger meal. He watched her use a pair of chopsticks to empty the odd food into a small bowl, which she handed to him and repeated the same for herself.
"Kagome are you sure this stuff is food?" Kouga asked while cautiously eyeing the brew.
"Of course! It's called ramen noodles. My friends and I eat it all the time! C'mon try it Kouga I'm sure you'll love it" she explained as she began to eat.
The wolf prince wasn't too sure about this though. It smelled nice, but it definitely looked like nothing he had ever eaten before. He looked over at Kagome who seemed to be enjoying her food and even gave him an encouraging smile.
"Well it sure aint meat…" he murmured while eyeing it skeptically. Kouga would've definitely preferred meat.
"Oh Kouga don't be such a baby, just try it!" she said while playfully nudging him with her elbow.
"Yeah, yeah, fine whatever woman."
Well it couldn't be that bad right? His woman prepared a meal for him and he wasn't about to let it go to waste. Still not being too familiar with chopsticks, Kouga reached his hand into the strange brew instead and shoveled a fist full of the noodles into his mouth which he instantly regretted.
"AARGH! DAMN IT!" Kouga roared as his mouth throbbed in pain from the scalding heat.
Kagome broke out into wild fits of laughter as Kouga raced towards the river and dunked his head inside. He emerged moments later with his bangs drooping down over his eyes as he turned towards Kagome, who couldn't contain her laughter. He swept his hair away from his face to reveal a very angry wolf price who clearly wasn't too happy about the situation. Kagome figured he was trying to silently threaten her with that look but she couldn't help it if he made her laugh even harder.
"Damn it Kagome, that's not funny!"
Kagome's sides felt like they would burst from seeing Kouga that way; he was even pouting too! Kouga narrowed his eyes and concocted the perfect way to get back at the girl. Kagome's laughter began to subside when she saw the wolf approaching her. He came up to her and snatched the bowl away from her first.
"Uhh, Kouga, what are you doing?"
"Getting even"
"Wait, whaa..?"
Kouga picked her up and without warning he hurled Kagome into the cold river and she shrieked as she made contact with the cold water. Now it was his turn to laugh and indeed he did.
"Kouga! Why…you low down..." Kagome sputtered as she spat the excess water from her mouth.
"How's the water Kagome? Do ya like it?" Kouga gloated as he laughed triumphantly from the river bank.
"Well why don't you come in and find out!" And before Kouga could figure out what was going on, Kagome swam over and yanked him hard by the wrist, which sent him tumbling into the frigid water right next to her.
Kagome wasted no time and began to assault Kouga with wave after wave of splashes. Kouga retaliated in a chorus of laughter and splashes, as did Kagome. Kagome never even dreamed that she could ever have this much fun with Kouga. He seemed so playful and carefree; a side of him that she'd never seen before. Usually whenever she saw Kouga, he was squabbling with Inuyasha, in battle or just flirting around with he. But she enjoyed this side of Kouga much more. That is until she heard him growl.
"K-Kouga…? Is something wrong?"
He didn't answer. She saw him narrow his eyes at her as he sunk dangerously low into the water. He then approached her silently, like a wolf closing in on its prey. Kagome began to feel nervous, almost helpless, that is, until she felt a flurry of fingers tickling at her sides. Laughter instantly erupted from the girl as Kouga relentlessly tickled her sides and stomach. Thankfully, the water dulled the sensation a bit but that still didn't stop the wolf demon.
After a few more minutes of wild laughter and protests, Kouga apprehended Kagome and took her ashore. The two began to dry themselves as their laughter finally began to subside.
"Kouga, you really don't play fair, you know that? I'm soaking wet!" Kagome said breathlessly as she reached into her bag for a drying towel.
He smirked as he undid his chest plate and furs. "Yeah well demons don't play fair Kagome. And besides, you were the one who gave me that hot stuff and then laughed at me to begin with, remember?"
Kagome giggled at the memory; well it was pretty funny at the time, she had to admit. "Oh come on Kouga, you didn't have to stuff it in your mouth in the first place" she finished with a chuckle.
Kouga snorted but then lifted his head skyward and sniffed gently. Kagome looked over in curiosity. "Something the matter?"
"Rain"
Kouga quickly slid his soaked armour and furs back on and extinguished the small fire they had going. "Come on we have to find some shelter Kagome, it'll be pouring pretty soon."
She could detect urgency in his voice, so she quickly put away her things, which were scattered around the area. She wrapped her drying towel around her tightly as Kouga picked her up and sped off in search of any form of shelter.
As Kouga had predicted, a few drops of rain fell which were soon followed by sheets and sheets of it. The rain tumbled upon them relentlessly and Kagome couldn't help but shiver from the cold water that had not yet dried from her clothing from their little escapade in the river. His blue eyes settled on her very briefly and then quickly re-focused on scanning the landscape for any form of shelter for the night. Kouga silently cursed himself for getting Kagome into this mess in the first place. He shouldn't have thrown her into that river to begin with. If he had been paying any attention at all, he would have smelled the hints of the oncoming rain in the air earlier and would not have done such a foolish thing. Kagome was only human, and if she had gotten sick in this miserable weather, it would be his fault alone.
The roar of thunder sounded off in the distance and as if on cue, the rain began to fall even harder. Kouga became much more frantic in his search now. He was unfamiliar with this territory and he had no idea if he would even be able to find shelter out here. Just then, Kouga came across a small cavern at the base of a large grassy hill. Its entrance was nearly completely hidden from sight by a mess of long, tangled vines, which he easily cleared as they entered.
The dwelling was rather small, though reasonably sized for the two of them. There was very little walking space allowed, but Kouga was thankful that it was still deep enough so that they wouldn't get wet from the rain outside. He imagined that they would be stranded here for tonight because of the heavy rains which didn't seem like it would end soon.
"Boy, this is some really nice weather we're having huh?" Kagome commented with a hint of sarcasm, though trying to lighten the mood again. She wrung out her now soaked towel and draped it over a boulder at the back of the small cave.
"Yeah, looks like we'll be stuck here for tonight" Kouga pointed out as he began to undo his armour and furs, but not before tossing Kagome's drenched backpack on the ground before her.
"First thing's first. We have to get you out of those wet clothes."
"Change?" In front of Kouga? Not in a million years. Kagome definitely couldn't do that in front of the wolf prince. She would absolutely die of embarrassment. "I'll be fine."
Kouga frowned. "No, you'll get sick if you stay in those clothes Kagome. I'm the one that tossed you into that river and got you soaked in the first place. I'm not lettin' you get sick because of it." He finished sternly.
One look at the soaked bag and Kagome gave a disheartened sigh. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. However because of the rain, all her belongings inside were no doubt soaked as well. She doubted that she'd find anything dry to wear. Sifting through her things, she found that she had guessed right. Most of her clothing and her other belongings had already gotten wet from the downpour outside. Kagome bit her lip and looked over at Kouga, who had already removed all his furs, save for the one around his waist.
"I can't change into anything in here. Everything's gotten wet already" she said as a blush crept upon her cheeks from Kouga's half nakedness.
"You need to get out of those clothes Kagome…" Kouga began slowly, hoping she'd understand exactly what he was meaning.
Kagome blushed furiously now as her face lit up. "No way, I'm not getting naked in front of you Kouga so you can forget it! What kinda girl do you think I am anyways?"
Kouga rolled his eyes. 'Women.' "Come on Kagome, I just don't want you to get sick. Okay, how about this, you just do whatever you need to and I won't look."
Kagome gave it very brief thought and dug through her backpack again, still hoping to find something dry this time. Luckily, she spotted a pair of cotton shorts that thankfully were only a little damp from the rain. Kagome was relieved that at least something in her bag was still wearable. She wouldn't have to worry about Kouga seeing her in nothing but a bra and panties…maybe just a bra though. She couldn't find a dry shirt.
'This definitely isn't how I planned to spend my first night back in the Feudal Era.' Kagome thought grudgingly. One look back in Kouga's direction and she was relieved to see that his back was turned to her, like he said. Reluctantly, she began to remove her clothing and easily slipped on her shorts, though that still left her upper body exposed, save for her bra.
"Are ya done yet or what?" she heard him say.
"Uhm…" Kagome murmured as she searched her bag for the third time for something, anything to cover herself with, but to no avail.
"Y-yeah…" she'd just have to tough it out for tonight. After all, it couldn't be that bad right? It was just like wearing a bikini top, only she wasn't on the beach. Kouga spun around and his eyes almost immediately settled on Kagome's chest, which was barely hidden by a strange piece of cloth.
Kagome caught him staring and quickly wrapped her arms across her breasts in embarrassment. "Don't look at me like that!"
The wolf prince couldn't even find words to respond with as his male mind drifted off into so many different places, all at once. He wasn't sure what the purpose was of the garment she wore, but he loved the way it shaped her breasts, almost pushing them upwards while still contouring them nicely. All he could do is stare at the sight of her, until she covered herself and brought him out of his trance. "Hm, what?"
"You were just ogling my chest Kouga! You're such a pig!" Kagome accused, still quite flustered and rather uncomfortable. The fuming girl turned her back to him in a huff. Instead, she went about draping some of her damp clothing over the nearby boulder to dry, in hopes that they would be wearable by sunrise.
"I'm sorry Kagome but I couldn't resist; you're beautiful. But don't worry; I'll see all of you on my own terms later" he said with a devious smirk.
"KOUGA!" That comment earned the wolf prince a painful smack on his cheek which left a stinging red imprint of Kagome's hand. Kagome was beyond embarrassment now as her face took on deeper red hues. "You're so unbelievable!" she fumed.
Kouga could only smirk as he rubbed his aching cheek. It was totally worth it. He was convinced his woman could knock out a bear demon with a hand like that and that thought only caused him to grin even wider. Kagome growled and turned her back to him once more, trying to busy herself with something else to take her mind off of the situation.
'Just who the hell does he think he is saying things like that?' Then he has to have that stupid smug look all over his face!' Kagome ranted on in her head.
Several minutes later, Kagome had unravelled her sleeping bag which was thankfully mostly dry. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room inside of the tiny cave for her to fully stretch out in it, without crowding Kouga in the process. So instead, she converted her sleeping bag into a large blanket and covered herself with it as she leaned against the wall of the cave.
Kouga had continued to watch her with keen interest as he scooted over to sit next to her against the cave walls. Kagome shot him a warning glare not to get too close to her and Kouga understood that perfectly.
"You stay over there where I can keep an eye on you, you pervert. You keep your hands to yourself," Kagome warned.
Kouga only let out a hearty chuckle. "Come on Kagome, do you really think I'd sink that low? Remember, like I said, I'll see all of you later on, when the time is right" he joked.
Kagome rolled her eyes before replying with her own witty comment, which led to a bit of banter back and forth between the two. Suddenly, before she knew it, she didn't feel nearly as embarrassed around him as she had before. She found herself easily opening up to Kouga again as they chatted.
Within the hour though, Kagome had begun to doze off to in the warmth of her sleeping bag. The steady pitter-patter of the rain and the howling of the wind outside was enough to woo her off to sleep. Her last conscious thoughts reflected on her night with Kouga and then inevitably settled on Inuyasha and her friends. She couldn't help but wonder where they could be right now. Had they been caught in the rain like she and Kouga were, or had Miroku managed to sweet talk his way into a prestigious manor tonight? Kagome sighed as she pulled her blanket tightly to her as her last thoughts finally settled on Inuyasha once more.
Kouga smiled softly at the sleeping girl he admired as she snored lightly, and then returned to stare at the rain which still poured relentlessly outside. It was such a miserable night, yet Kagome had managed to brighten it for him considerably with her radiant smile and pleasant voice. He couldn't help but grin to himself. He enjoyed being near her, just finally having her here with him without mutt face around was enough to make his heart soar.
But come sunrise, Kouga knew he would have to break it to her that they would need to take a detour in their journey to find her friends. He needed to check on his pack. After all, he had been gone awhile without any word and he knew that they would be growing concerned of his absence. Kouga did have every intention of taking Kagome back to her friends, but first, he was going to use this situation to his advantage. He treasured this time with her; he was going to keep her with him as long as he could. Maybe then, he could finally make her realize the true depths of his affection for her.
…
And there you have chapter seven guys, I really hope you've all enjoyed it. Once again, please let me know what you guys thought about this chapter, I'd love to hear your thoughts/feedback. That's what really helps me to keep these chapters going. Until next time!
~nitriclove
