Paintball Match.

Ray walked through the front door of his house, and called out. He recieved no answer, and he knew nobody was home. Again. He kicked off his shoes, and went up to his room. He opened the door, and clicked on his stereo. He raised the volume, and turned on the bass boost, knowing that no one would be home for a while. He took off his shirt, and examined himself in the mirror. His stomach was developing nicely, and he was almost up to 150 sit-ups a day. His chest was taking a bit longer though. He slid his shirt back on, and laid on his bed. He slid his guns out from underneath his bed, and examined them. They could spit out almost seven paintballs a second, but he wanted them to be faster. He hefted them, and figured that he could get a slightly bigger mag while he was at it. He sighted the empty guns at the ceiling, and wondered when he could next go against the silver haired half breed, InuYasha. He smiled at the thought, and pulled both triggers on his guns, rewarded by a two tiny clicking sounds. He dropped his guns on the side of his bed, and fluffed up the pillow behind his head. He could feel his cat-like ears being bent slightly by the pillow, but there was no pain there. He closed his eyes, and immediately had flashbacks of earlier today.

"Get back here, ya damn kitty cat!"

Ray ran as hard as he could, knowing that if he was caught, then he would be beat up. He risked a look behind him, and grimaced as he was struck on the cheek by a rock. He turned around and kept running. Someone was standing on the street corner, but Ray didn't know who it was, so he paid no attention to him, running by him. Suddenly, his foot wasn't in front of him to support him, and he realized that the guy had tripped him. Ray slammed into the concrete sidewalk, and skidded across it, coming to a stop a few feet away from the curb as the sidewalk curved around a corner. He grimaced, feeling the pain in his skinned hands and cut chin. He got up as fast as he could, turning around to face the gang that was chasing him. He snarled, knowing that it wasn't just a fight anymore. He could hurt as many of these punks as he wanted to before they overwhelmed him, and he would say it was self defense. He raised his fists as the gang slowed to a stop, a few feet away from him. They stared at Ray, and started backing up. Ray didn't know what was going on, but he was glad that he was avoiding a fight. Ray took a few steps toward them, hoping they kept retreating. They started running away, and Ray sighed. He dropped down on the pavement, and tried to concentrate on something other than the pain in his hands and the blood on the sidewalk. The guy who had tripped him had left, dissappearing while Ray was on the ground. He got up, and walked back to school, where he was sure that he would run into some of the kids again.

Ray grinned as he thought about it. Sure he had gotten hurt, but for some reason, he hadn't been attacked, and he hadn't been bothered the whole second half of school. He had even managed to see InuYasha in the hallways. Thinking about that bought another small smile to his face.

InuYasha...

Ray rolled over, and pulled his pillow under his head, suddenly feeling tired. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about the silver haired half breed.

Earlier that day, during school.

InuYasha ran down the hallway, eager to get to his computer sciences class. He was late because he had been roaming the halls looking for Ayame. He rounded the corner, checking her one last time, and sighed when he found her there.

"Hey Ayame, I was looking for ya, where you been?" He asked. He heard her yelp, and she stayed facing her locker. InuYasha, wondering what was going on, put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ayame, what's wrong...?" He asked. He tried to get her to face her, but she refused to look at him. Not finding her trick funny, he glared at her, and twisted her bodily around, wanting to see if she was alright. He gasped as he looked at her. She was wearing her usual black cargo pants, and she had on a dark red T shirt. But that wasn't what grabbed InuYasha's attention. He stared at her throat, a grin starting to spread across his face. She was still wearing the collar from last night, but the chain had been removed. The silver buckle was facing the front, and it was done up on the third hole, the tongue sticking out the loop a bit. She blushed madly at him, and said nothing. InuYasha leaned against her locker, and continued to stare at her, looking her up and down. He nodded, grinning slightly.

"That's sexy." He said. "You look hot."

She looked down at her feet. InuYasha raised her head with his finger, and kissed her on the mouth.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "You don't have to wear it if it makes you this uncomfortable. I never ever said you had to wear it to school, or at all, for that matter." He said.

Ayame shook her head. "It's not that." She whispered.

"What is it then?" He asked.

She looked at him, a blush creeping into her cheeks and heating up the back of her neck.

"People won't stop staring, and whistling at me." She said. InuYasha laughed. "Hey, that ain't so bad." He said. "People whistling at you means people think your hot!"

She shrugged, and turned away, grabbing her books. "I guess..." She said, leaning up ont he tip toes to kiss InuYasha goodbye. InuYasha hugged her, then slapped her ass as she walked away. She turned to look at him, and he gave her a thumbs up. He turned, and walked down to his classroom, walking in and apologizing for being late.

Later that day, after second class...

The bell rang, and InuYasha ran out of his class, looking for Ayame. He passed by her locker, and saw that she wasn't there yet. He shook his head, and decided to wait outside. As he came out onto the steps, he saw a crowd go rushing by.

'Hey, are they giving away free food or something?' He thought. He looked up the street, the way they were running, and he saw a small figure running ahead of the crowd, almost like the person was being chased. InuYasha looked a bit closer, and saw the person get struck on the cheek by a rock. InuYasha then recognised the person as Ray, the guy that was sort of his friend. He took off running, sticking to the back of the crowd. He waited until he saw Ray fall, then lunged up ahead of the crowd. He hoped he timed it right. He landed on the ground, passing right over Ray's head as he turned around. He was never seen by Ray, as Ray stood up to face the group. InuYasha saw Ray put up his fists, and had to admire the kid for trying. InuYasha stared at the group over Rays shoulder, and made a slashing motion across his throat, then pointed at the group. He saw them stop, and he raised his fists, making a lunge toward them. They got scared, and ran away. InuYasha hurriedly retreated also, not wanting Ray to know that he was the reason the group had fled. InuYasha watched from the alley next to the street as Ray sat down, examining his hands. When it was clear that no one was coming back to bother Ray, InuYasha took off in search of Ayame. It took a few minutes of searching, but when he did find her, she was in a tight situation. InuYasha stayed hidden around the corner, listening and watching, to see what Ayame would do.

Ayame was at her locker, spinning in her combination, when she felt someone's hand slide over her ass. She gasped, still not used to InuYasha doing it to her, and she spun around, looking to see who it was, for she couldn't smell InuYasha's scent anywhere at all. She came face to face with a black-haired girl, who winked playfully at Ayame.

"Hey there." She said. "Wanna hang out with me, maybe we can get to know each other." She said, suggestively. Ayame shook her head, her hands covering up her bum.

"Sorry, I'm meeting someone." She said. The girl looked around. "Well, I don't see anyone." She said. "Besides, who is it, a guy?"

Ayame nodded. "Yeah, his name's InuYasha." The girl shook her head, sliding a bit closer to Ayame, and putting her hand on the locker door beside Ayame's head.

"You should know one thing, girl." She said. "You can never ever trust a guy, they'll take you, and use you, and dump you like you're nothing." She said. Ayame was taken aback at her words.

"Not InuYasha, he wouldn't do that! He's too nice!" She protested. The girl slid a bit closer, glancing at Ayame's lips.

"Trust me," She said softly. "He'll only be nice to you until he gets what he wants from you, then you'll see a different side of this InuYasha." She said. Ayame stared into the girls deep brown eyes, and wondered if what she said was true. Then she shook her head.

"No way." Ayame said. "The only problems that will ever come into our relationship is from me doubting him because of you." She said. "Please go away and leave me alone."

The girl giggled, ignoring her. "I like this." She said, reaching up to touch the collar. "That makes you look really sexy, it's a huge turn on." She said, leaning closer.

Ayame backed up against the locker, and felt the girl touch her shoulder.

"Wait, what are you doing?" She asked. The girl laughed. "Just a little kiss." She said. Her lips were a few inches from Ayame's, when InuYasha stepped around the corner.

"Hey!" He shouted, distracting the girl. She looked up at InuYasha, and InuYasha's eyes widened as he recognised the girl. He forced it from his mind, and concentrated on Ayame. He walked up, and yanked on the girls arm, pulling her away from Ayame.

"Ow, hey, watch it, InuYasha!" She said, glaring at him. He glared back, and Ayame moved behind him, her hands on the back of his shirt, peeking around to the strange girl.

InuYasha glared at her. "You aren't gonna corrupt this girl too, so get out of here!" He said. "Leave Ayame alone!"

Ayame wondered what InuYasha meant, this girl too. Did InuYasha know other girls that this weird one had made a pass on?

"Ayame, eh? Thats a cute name." She said. She looked around InuYasha, and stared directly at Ayame.

"Listen babe, if you ever get the chance to see the real colors of the so called 'Paintball champion InuYasha', then call me, okay?" Ayame hid her face behind InuYasha, and thought about what she had said. She froze as she realized that the girl knew that InuYasha was a paintballer, and what did she mean, 'real colors'?

"Kikyo, get the hell out of here." InuYasha said, his voice laden with disgust. She turned, and walked away, leaving InuYasha with Ayame, and Ayame wondering about InuYasha's past few years. InuYasha turned, and looked at Ayame, knowing that she had questions.

"That girls name is Kikyo, and her sole purpose in life is to go around and try to break up as many happy couples as she can." He said, rubbing her shoulders. Ayame looked up at him.

"She touched my bum!" She said, the tears starting to leak out of the corners of her eyes. InuYasha shrugged. "Eh, she never used to like girls, believe me." He said. He then realized that he said to much, and shut up. Ayame however, looked up at him, her eyes sharp. "What do you mean?" She asked.

InuYasha struggled to find a reasonable explanation.

"Well, I..." He thought for a minute, then decided to come right out with the truth. "I used to date her, a year ago, before I got into paintballing." He said.

Ayame narrowed her eyes. "Why aren't you two still going out?"

"Because when I got into paintball, I was stupid, and I tried to get too good, too fast. I let it run my life, and I spent all my money on it. I spent way more time paintballing then I did hanging with her."

Ayame crossed her arms in front of her chest, and shifted her weight to one leg. "Then why am I around?" She asked.

InuYasha laughed. "Only you know that," He said, "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's because I learned from my mistakes. I learned to level out my paintball time, and time that I spent with my friends." He said. "Plus, not to mention that you're actually interested in paintball."

Ayame thought about it. She knew that she had actually spent way more time with InuYasha then on the battlefield or watching him fight. She looked him in the eye, and asked him one more question.

"Do you still have feelings for her?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head. "No, that was over a year ago." He said. "I can't go back to the way things were, nor do I want to." He said. "I have someone I care about right here." He said, slipping his arms around Ayame's waist. She glared up at him for a few more seconds, before melting. She hugged him back, glad to hear him talk to her. He hadn't hesitated, or showed any sign that he was thinking of a lie, and she couldn't smell fear or anxiety on him, so she decided to trust him. She pulled away from him, about to walk away, when InuYasha lashed out, grabbing the collar and yanking her back toward him. She was pulled against his body, and felt his lips upon hers, so she kissed him back. She moaned, and heard somebody laughing as they walked by.

"I seen that girl earlier and I wondered why she was wearing a collar, now I guess I know..."

Ayame didn't mind, she let them think what ever they wanted. She had a boy who cared about her, and treated her right, so she didn't care what they said. InuYasha stopped kissing her, but he still had his finger hooked around the collar, pulling it snug against the back of her neck. She looked up into his eyes, her mouth slightly open, a light blush on her cheeks. InuYasha snickered, and kissed her hard, letting her know that she was still his for a few more hours. He pushed her up against her locker, and kissed her, not giving her an inch of spare room. He ran his hands all over her body, over her hips and around her tight ass. He kissed her cheek, then her jaw bone, then her thoat, her heavy breathing resonating in his ears. He inhaled her soft scent, slightly spiked again with that spicy smell, and he knew she wanted him. He slid his hands up the back of her T-shirt, and rubbed her back, his fingers touching the strap of her bra. He was dying to unhook it, but he was in school, after all. And then that fact was brought to reality, harshly.

He was yanked away from Ayame by a teacher, who glared down at him.
"What are you doing?" The teacher asked. InuYasha grinned up at him, really friendly like. "Nothing sir, just showing my girlfriend that I love her, sir." He said. The teacher looked at Ayame, and back at InuYasha.

Ayame blushed heavily. 'Girlfriend? Love???' She wondered if InuYasha was just trying to talk his way out of a detention, or if he was telling the truth. She looked at the boy, being held by the back of his shirt by the buff gym teacher, grinning at him like they had been friends forever. She saw the teacher talking, and InuYasha responding, but she heard none of it, only his words echoing in her mind over and over again.

She saw the teacher release InuYasha, and she leaned against the locker, her chin on her chest, staring at her feet. There were so many things happening today, and she couldn't handle it all. First she found out that InuYasha had a girlfriend, then she was being called his girlfriend, and was talked about as being loved by him. She looked up to see InuYasha looking at her worriedly.

"What's wrong, Ayame?" He asked. She shook her head. "Nothing, InuYasha..." She said.

InuYasha looked at her hard, and she turned her head away. InuYasha gasped as he realized what was bothering her.

"If you're offended by me calling you my girlfriend, then I'm sorry, Ayame." He said. "I really never meant to offend you."

Ayame looked up at him. "Did you mean it?" She asked. InuYasha looked at her. "Huh?"

"Did you mean it when you said that you were just showing your girlfriend that you loved her?"

InuYasha then realized what she meant. He grinned, and hugged her again. "Every damn word." He said. "If that's okay with you." He added quickly, not quite sure what she wanted from him.

Ayame buried her face in his chest. "Thats just fine, InuYasha." She said. She was silent for a few seconds. "So I guess this means we're going out now?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yup, it does." He said. Ayame grinned, and hugged him tightly.

"It isn't the best way to pick up a girl, InuYasha," She said. "But, it sure worked this time." InuYasha grinned, and let her go.

He started walking toward the cafeteria, Ayame at his side, and a few seconds later, felt her slip her hand into his, holding on tightly.

Ray walked downstairs, and glanced at the clock. It was quarter after ten, and nobody was home yet. He went back upstairs and locked his bedroom door, before slipping his paintball guns into his waistband. He went back downstairs and walked out the door, shutting it behind him, but not locking it. He had found out InuYasha's address from a friend who had some friends who knew InuYasha, and now he started running toward InuYasha's place, intent on finding him and talking to him. He cut across the street, totally devoid of cars, and cut through a park. He saw three older guys huddled around each other, smoking something, and he kept a firm grip on his micro-machine guns handles, the whole way through the park. Once out of the park, he released the guns, and kept running, cutting across a few more deserted streets. He finally found the right street, and walked down it, looking for the right house number. He found it close to the end of the street, on the left side, and he walked up the drive, knocking on the door. He waited for a minute, and decided that no one was home. He was about to leave, when his ears caught the sound of movement inside. He stopped, and waited. A few seconds later, InuYasha opened the door, clad in just a baggy pair of cargo pants, the zipper undone, and the button open. He spotted Ray standing on his front steps, and looked behind him. He motioned for Ayame to get decent, and stepped out into the cool night, zipping up his pants. Ray, embarrassed to have inturrupted something, said nothing. InuYasha looked at him.

"What's up, Ray?" He asked, looking at the cat demon. Ray turned his dark eyes to InuYasha and shrugged. "Just dropping by to see how you're doing, but it turns out you're doing pretty well, actually." He said. "Maybe I should have called before I came." InuYasha nodded. "That would have been a bright idea." He said dryly. Just then, Ayame stepped outside, InuYasha's Metallica shirt on. It hung down past her thighs, and InuYasha was sure she had nothing on underneath it. She walked into InuYasha's arms, and kissed him. Ray looked at the girl, and wondered briefly why she had a dog collar around her neck. Perhaps it was some weird sex game they were playing. He looked away. Perhaps it was none of his business. Ayame looked at Ray, and held out her hand. He shook it.

"HI, I'm Ray." He said. "I battled InuYasha a few weeks ago, and got my ass handed to me." He said, by way of introduction. Ayame giggled, and introduced herself.

"My name is Ayame, and I kicked InuYasha's ass a few weeks ago." She said. InuYasha laughed. Ray looked at her.

"Seriously?" He asked. "But he's so fast, I could barely keep up with his movements." Ray thought about it for a minute. "You must be a really good player." He said. Ayame laughed. "No, for some reason, InuYasha fights better when he's alone, but he had a group with him when he fought our group." She said. She put her hand on his bare chest.
"I think he worries too much about his team mates, and can't fight to his full advantage." She said. "It's really sweet, actually." InuYasha grinned and pushed her away.

"Get outta here, I could take you any time, day or night, team or not." He said. Ayame grinned. "Okay." She said. "Are you sure that you want to put that challenge out?" She asked. "I'll destroy you if you actually try to challenge me." She said. InuYasha nodded. "I am challenging you. Are you gonna back down?" He asked. Ayame shook her head. "No way, tomorrow after school, I'll take you down." She said, dissappearing into the house. InuYasha, grinning and shaking his head, looked at Ray.

"Ah, she probably will kill me." He said. Ray nodded. "Well, I see you have some unfinished business to attend to." He said, walking down the steps.

"See you tomorrow."

InuYasha nodded. "Later." He said, walking into the house. He sat next to Ayame on the couch, and she flicked on the TV.

"He's cute," Ayame said. "How old is he?" InuYasha laughed. "Uh-oh, just a few hours into our dating, and already Ayame is sizing up the competition!"

Ayame slapped his chest. "Not like that!" She said. InuYasha changed channels. "I don't know how old he is, actually." He said. "He's never told me."

Ayame nodded, and slid a bit closer to InuYasha. He put his arm around her, and remembered that she was clad only in his T-shirt. But it didn't matter, he was sort of glad they had been inturrupted. He didn't want to have sex with her this early anyway. He wanted it to mean something, not just because they were both aroused, and there was nothing better to do. They cuddled through the rest of the night, then they went to bed, holding each other close as they slept peacefully through the night.

Ray, however, was still awake when three a.m. rolled around. He was thinking about why he had lost to InuYasha, after he had been beaten by his girlfriend. It wasn't that InuYasha should have beaten her just because she was a girl, and was weak, he knew plenty of really good girls. He just thought that she didn't look like a girl with a lot of speed in her. He wasn't sure, maybe she was really fast, but either way, he had to beat InuYasha again. He had to rechallenge him. He had quit his old team for awhile, to do some solo training. He just didn't feel like he was reaching his full potential. He knew he could be so much faster, smoother, and quicker on the draws and shots. He rolled over, and thought about InuYasha. The boy seemed to have everything. A good gun, the skills to use it, a nice girl, a good house, and he had seen a car parked in the garage, so it was obvious that he had a family that cared about him. Ray sighed, and rolled over onto his back again. There was one thing he was missing. And he needed to find it.