Chapter 9: Tickets… to Disaster.

They sprinted up the stairs, taking strides so long; they skipped two steps with each stride. They ran down the hall, opened their room door, slammed it shut, locked it with every locking device known to man, and collapsed on the floor.

They laid on their backs, huffing and puffing for the air to return to them. Side by side, they laid on the cold floor of the their kitchen slash entry way, just starring at their water stained ceiling.

"That…was…gay," Inuyasha huffed. Kagome just nodded.

"I'm never going out into public…AGAIN!" He continued.

"Can we get house?" Kagome asked, out of the blue.

Inuyasha breathing paused for an instant, before he lifted his top half off of the ground with his elbows and starred at her.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"A house. Can we get one?" Kagome asked again. Inuyasha took a seconded to think about her request.

"W-well…that depends," he finally said.

"On what?" Kagome asked, cocking her head at him.

"Well, uh…price is one thing…where the location is, how good the house is, the inco---"

Kagome interrupted, as she shot up and walked to the kitchen table.

"GOOD! 'Cause before our little 'accident'," she picked up a folded newspaper and tossed it onto Inuyasha's lap. "I found the PERFECT house for sale."

Inuyasha looked at the folded up new paper and saw a huge house circled in red with a big BUY IT across the picture. Inuyasha looked at the house—it was truly beautiful. He saw it had a good location, fair nationhood—it all looked so promising…until he got to the price.

"1 MILLION DOLLORS?" Kagome cringed.

"Uh…yeah. Not bad for a castle slash mansion slash house lookin' thing!"

"What do we need a castle slash mansion slash house for! There are only two of us!" Inuyasha protested, getting up off the floor.

"For KIDS!" Kagome said, exasperated. Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat, the blood rushed to his cheeks, and the paper fell from his hands.

"For Rin's kids! He-lo!" Kagome added quickly, saving the situation. Inuyasha let out a breath and let his shoulders fall.

"Phew! For a minuet there…I thought you weren't telling me something."

"Yeah, actually, I got you drunk one night and took advantage of you."

"WHAT?"

Kagome broke down while yelling, "Just kidding, just kidding!" Inuyasha glared at her and shook his head. Kagome took in a breath before her laughing secede.

"No, no kids for me thank you. I'm the kind that spoils other people's kids. Not my own." Inuyasha nodded as he bent down and grabbed the paper.

"Yeah me too."

"Do not!" Kagome protested. "You hate kids!"

"I do not!" Inuyasha snapped, walking up to her and placing the paper on the table. " I just don't prefer hanging around them."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Uh…hu. Yeah what ever."

"It's true!" Inuyasha shot back. Kagome just shook her head and began to walk away.

The fallowing day, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Sango and Miroku came over to the apartment to have dinner. Kagome had baked quite a bit because she wanted to thank her friends for being at the hospital every day….3 hours a day… for 13 days…a piece.

"REALY, kagome. It's OKAY! That's what friends are supposed to do," Sango said as she watched her friend pull out what looked like ten courses of food for the 6 of them to eat.

"I know but still, I want to do this."

"Uh…maybe you should sit down, Kags. Your right leg is starting to look a little…odd." Rin said, eyeing Kagome's knee with a sick look in he eyes. A metal bar sticking held her leg together straight threw it, and it didn't look all that appetizing. And it didn't help the fact that around the joint, the skin was beginning to look a little greenish purplish.

Kagome looked at her leg than shrugged. "I honestly can't feel a thing, believe it or not."

"Yeah, you should put that on Reply's Believe it or Not," Miroku snorted before he took a drink of his soda.

"Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it can't be a bad thing," Sesshoumaru inquired in his 'doctor' tone.

"Well…I'm sitting down, anyways." She said as she took her seat next to Inuyasha. There was a silence between the gang of friends for a few moments; enough for the second hand to make at least two rounds around the clock's face, before Sesshoumaru broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"Well, um…after watching you two pull threw this catastrophe with greater grace than any of us could have expected, Rin and I dropped by the Metro and got you two these."

Sesshoumaru dug a hand inside his brown trench coat and pulled out an unwrinkled envelope with two yellow strips of paper sticking out. Kagome gasped and sat up right in her chair, reaching for the long white package.

"Are these…" Kagome was cut off by her own stunned-ness, so Sesshoumaru finished for her.

"Tickets to the performance of Wicked? Yes, they are. Sango and Miroku got their two in the mail yesterday, so we can all go together as a family! Kind of." Kagome felt herself go numb as she gently took the envelope from him and starred at the tickets in aw. Inuyasha did the same, practically drooling over her shoulder as he starred at them.

"Are you serious, bro?" asked Inuyasha, quaking pleasure dripping off every word.

"Absolutely," Sesshoumaru stated with a smile and a brief nod. Inuyasha could only let out a few loud breaths and go wide-eyed. Same as Kagome, who's hands shook with delight. Oh, how they've dreamed of just looking at a Wicked poster and possibly stealing it and posting it in their room, but now…they actually get to see it!

Kagome could no longer hold back her excitement. Without warning to neither Rin nor Sesshoumaru (who was picking up a glass of water to drink) Kagome launched herself on him, and tightly latched her arms around his masculine neck. Sesshoumaru gasped and juggled the full glass of water in his hands, catching it just barely before it spilled all over them.

"OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" she cried, her smile stretching from one side of her skull to the next. Her cheeks were starting to hurt, but she didn't care. She got to go see Wicked! And there was nothing else in the world that mattered…except for the bathroom.

"Uh oh…be right back! Gotta go piddle!" Kagome said, ripping herself away from Sesshoumaru- bumping his glass yet again- and then zipping into the bathroom around the corner. Rin, Sango and Miroku laughed in unison. Both at how stunned, frozen, and wide-eyed Sesshoumaru was, and how quickly Kagome switched emotional gears on everyone. Inuyasha just looked at the bathroom door, which was closed, and Sesshoumaru, than gave few shakes of the head before rising from the table to get himself a glass of greatly craved Dr. Pepper.

Sango finished her chuckling than turned to Sesshoumaru and asked, "So when is the big day?"

"Next Thursday. That should give the two 'survivors' a chance to recoup and get settled back into their normal beds before then."

"That's good to hear!" shouted Inuyasha from around the fridge door. "The last thing I want is to fall asleep during a big event like this."

"Same here!" said Kagome, who walked out of the bathroom, the loud "K-CHHHHH" of the toilet humming behind her.

"Feel better?" asked Sango, raising an eyebrow to her friend.

"Loads," Kagome replied with her chest puffy and her hand on her hips. This, of course, gained another unison laugh from the friends.

That night, Kagome found it unusually difficult to sleep. This was what she wanted, right? To be home at last, surrounded by her familiar pink pillowcases and Down comforter and many assorted stuffed animals. Her favorite one – a large yellow, floppy eared rabbit that was half the size of her, lay tucked under her arm, the blankets pulled up to it's cute little chin.

Kagome lay on her side, starring out the open window as the wind played with her white drapes. The way they lifted off the floor and stretched for her reminded her of arms waiting to hug her. Kagome could see the moon just outside- cresset, but still as bright as ever- and the stars winking behind it's luminous light. Kagome blinked, than a second later, threw the covers off her body. She slid off he rather huge bed, and glided over to the open and wafting arms of the drapes. Her form was suddenly hidden, as the drapes welcomed her by wrapping her into them. Kagome stood starring out the window, her loose hair flowing off her shoulders with the cool breeze. Her eyes caught the orb of the moon, and the blues of her eyes suddenly were a glow with a pail glass.

Why can't I sleep? She asked herself as she gazed down into the street below. I have everything I had wanted and yet…it still feels like something's missing. Than, without warning, a flash crossed her mind. She blinked and took a step away from the window seal, eyes suddenly wider than before. She took a moment to assess the figure that suddenly decided to show itself, and her mind only drew one conclusion. Inuyasha.

Oh, of course! Said Kagome, putting fist to her chin. After being in that Hospital for a little more than a week, my subconscious is used to having someone next to me! And who better to do that than Inuyasha! Kagome nodded once to herself, than in one motion, grabbed her large bunny, grabbed her door handle, and left her room. She peeked out of the hall way corner, into the entry way-slash-kitchen to see that the only light given was that of the stove clock that read 2:00.

She blinked a frown when she noticed the time, but then pushed that aside and tip-toed-slash sprinted for Inuyasha's room across the hall. She tapped ever so lightly on the door, hopping that Inuyasha's acute ears would pick up the almost incoherent sound. A few moment of silence passed. Okay so maybe it was too quiet.

Well, unwilling to knock again, Kagome gripped the cold door handle and gave the door a slight bump with the hip. The door opened wide faster than she had expected, and the hinges gave a displeased squeak. Kagome caught her breath in her throat than drew the door closed until there was nothing but a sliver of a crack for her to peek threw. Her eyes fought threw the darkness, and adjusted on a figure sprawled on the left side of the bed. Kagome waited a moment for any signs of movement, just in case that little squeak woke him up, than decided it was safe. She opened the door more smoothly this time, the dull light from the clock in the kitchen shedding little light to path her way. Oh well, she studied the room for a few seconds, mapping out the way to the bed in her mind, than slowly closed the door behind her.

It was dark again. More dark than before, but after letting her eyes adjust again, she used her photographic memory of his room and found her way to Inuyasha's side of the bed.

Kagome stood in front of him like a little girl- stuffed animal held up close to her face, and a nail jammed nervously in her mouth as she chewed away at it. She took a moment to look at his face, working out what and how she'd ask Inuyasha if she could sleep with him without it sounding perverted.

"Um…Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha didn't flinch. Kagome bit her lip, than tried again, only this time louder.

"Inuyasha?"

Still nothing but a slight snore. Okay, maybe bending down will help. "Inuyasha?"

Nope.

All right, maybe a combination of both?

"INUYASHA!" Kagome whispered loudly, while bent down to his level. Inuyasha shot up right, eyes wide for a moment before growing heavy again.

"Wha-wha-what?" Inuyasha mumbled, shielding his eyes with his hands, even though there was no manner of light in the room. Kagome chuckled, but did well to hide it behind the head of her rabbit.

"S-sorry to wake you but um…"she paused, looking away for an instant. Ohhh Jeeze, how am I gonna put this lightly?

"Can I uh…sleep…with…you…maybe…?" Oi, I blew it. Oh please be too tired to catch it the wrong way. Please be too tired to catch it the wrong way…

Inuyasha kind of gave her that blank 'say what?' frown, before looking at his bed than back up at her. Her eyes were full of hopping- hopping he'd say yes so she could get some much-disserved sleep.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, sure. Hop in," Inuyasha finally said, shifting under his sheets as he tried to throw a good half of the blankets over on her side. Kagome gave a silent squeal and a skip before she ran over to the other side of the bed and crawled in just like a little girl. Inuyasha dug a pillow out from under his head and placed it right before Kagome plopped her head down. Her body instantly gave a shake as she felt the heat from the blankets cover her body. She never before understood how Inuyasha cold- even in the dead of winter- sleep with nothing but a gray sheet and a few pillows, but now she understood. The middle was always warm and cozy, while near the feet it was a perfect temperature of cold. The sheets were easy to toss and turn in, and you never get your legs all tangled up!

Okay, form now on, I'M sleeping with jus a sheet and few four pillows. Thought Kagome as she nestled into the surprising warmth. After a few minuets of laying on her back, she tossed over onto her right. After a few moments of that, she tossed over onto her left. And after a few moments of that, she rolled onto her stomach. And after a few moments of that, she rolled back onto her right. Inuyasha was getting some sound sleep there for a while…until the tossing and turning started up.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, as Kagome tossed onto her left.

"No. I… can't seem…to get comfortable…" she tossed back over onto her stomach, face flat down into the pillow. Inuyasha grumbled to himself before he scooted closer to her. Kagome was now on her right, her back to Inuyasha as she grumbled to her self about her predicament. Until she suddenly felt an arm around her waist. She gasped and when ridged, and she dared not look over her shoulder.

"Uhhh…Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Hm?"

Kagome bit back a quake of embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"Holding you," He replied bluntly. Hearing that just made a tighter knot form in her gut.

"W-why?" she asked, swallowing a lump.

"Hey, it got you to stop moving, didn't it?"

Kagome was about to reply when she realized that he was right. She found herself unusually comfortable and…unmoving!

Inuyasha smiled to himself when he felt Kagome's muscles relax under his handsome arms, and her delicate hand found it's way into his. Kagome nestled in closer to him, seeking his warmth and even more…his comfort.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she replied, as she at last felt the sleep reach her eyelids. She was amazed but grateful it came to her so quickly.

Inuyasha blew out his nose, his warm breath tickling the fine hairs in the back of her neck.

"You're welcome…Kagome."

Sleep found them both, and within moments, they felt as if nothing had changed between them. That the accident never happened, that the pain was never there. It was just them and their sleep.

OH! And the happy little yellow, floppy eared bunny squeezed between them.