Take a Bow Chapter 10: My Knight in Shining Armour, an inuyasha fanfic

Oh. My. Gosh.

I can't remember the last time I went for so long without updating. Before any of you guys get too angry with me, I'd like to point out that I was nowhere near a computer for the entire holidays. Indeed, the nearest accessible computer was thousands of kilometres away from where we were staying.

And then there was last week. I don't know why, but all of my classes at school have received the overwhelming urge to give us as much homework as possible... or at least that's how it felt last week, on the first week of school. Now it's only the second week and I can't wait for it all to be over!

Of course, then I have to face year 11 next year... joy of all joys. I. Am. Going. To. DIE.

But onto happier topics, I've updated! Yay! :) And it's the longest update I can ever recall writing! Double yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha (Rumiko Takahashi) Or Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield)

Kagome was having a wonderful dream. In it, she was lying in her bed with Inuyasha beside her; warding off all the evil shadows that threatened to overwhelm her. His arms were tight around her body, but not like a cage—more like a shield. They felt warm and unbelievably nice over her much cooller skin.

"Kagome?"

With a groan Kagome buried herself into Inuyasha's embrace, taking in his deep musky scent. No, I don't want to wake up, she thought, Don't let me wake up!

"Kagome?"

She could feel herself rising into consciousness and desperately tried to sink into slumber once more, away from the irritable stranger trying to wake her. Please, please don't let this dream end!

"Kagome!"

The stranger's voice, despite her best efforts, had become clearer and, much to her surprise, more familiar. It puzzled her that this stranger—male, she had observed—could be in her room, trying to rouse her while the warm body in her dream remained beside her.

"Kagome, it's time to wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and then closed against the bright light coming from her window. While her retinas burned she noted that the warmth had not disappeared or even faded, but remained beside her exactly where her boyfriend had been. When the pain in her eyes ceased she rolled over and opened them again, curious to find the source of heat beside her.

Two beautiful amber eyes pierced hers.

With a squeak of surprise Kagome tried to roll away, only to find the hanyou's arms blocking her escape. He blinked quizzically at her for a moment, the morning light making his eyes glitter and dance with colour.

"Inuyasha? You're here?"

"In the flesh."

"Oh… so that means…"

"You told me. I know everything."

Silence reined. For a while, the only sound was the rustle of wind which, although it had died down during the night, was still rather intense.

Finally Inuyasha spoke. "Listen, I have to go home and get ready for school. Do you think you'll be okay?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"I won't be long! It'll only take a minute-"

"No. Take your time. I have to get ready, too."

With more than a little reluctance Kagome sat up, a large part of her disappointed when Inuyasha's arms disentangled themselves and allowed her to move. Inuyasha stood up as she did, pecking her on the cheek.

"I'll be back soon." He promised. Then with unhuman speed he left the room.

Rin was waiting for Inuyasha when he slipped inside his bedroom window. She was sitting on his bed, swathed in a fluffy white dressing gown and grasping a steaming cup of coffee.

"Morning." She said cheerfully, smiling as she sipped her warm beverage.

"Rin? What are you doing in here?" Inuyasha asked.

"Good question. Now let me ask you an even better one… why is it that when I walked in here this morning that you were nowhere in sight? Unless of course, you were at Kagome's house…" one of her eyebrows arched high as her eyes searched his face for the truth.

"Yes, I was at Kagome's house." Inuyasha stated.

"Then I really don't want to know what you were doing."

"Wait, what?! Nothing happened!"

"Sure, sure."

"I'm serious! Kagome rang in the middle of the night and asked me to come over so we could… talk and then we ended up falling asleep."

Rin stared at him in silence for a while. When she spoke again her voice was slow and incredulous. "You don't really expect me to buy that… do you?"

"It's the truth!" Inuyasha insisted.

"Well, whatever. Help me up, would you?"

Even though he was desperate to get Rin to believe the truth, Inuyasha knew that the battle was over. Instead he helped hoist the pregnant woman to her feet.

"Aaaah, that's better. Now, as far as your parents are concerned, you left earlier this morning to meet Miroku. Last minute preparations for an assignment or something like that…"

"Thanks, Rin." Inuyasha said with a smile.

"No biggie. Now, you should get ready. Kagome's probably waiting for you… am I right?"

"Yeah, I'm going to her place once I'm done here." He turned toward his dresser and began to pull out random items of clothing, not really caring whether they matched or not.

"Inuyasha?"

The hanyou turned, his arms cradling a pile of jeans and cotton shirt, to find the mischievous glimmer gone from Rin's eyes; replaced by a cross between uncertainty and anxiety.

"About Kikyo…"

"I know."

"Have you told her yet?"

"…No."

"Why not?!"

"I just… I don't want to lose her. Is that so hard to understand? I don't want her thinking that I'm like her fa- like Houjo. I want her to know that I won't abandon her, not like he did."

Rin's expression softened and she rested a hand on his shoulder. "But don't you think she deserves the truth?"

"I want her to be happy."

"You didn't answer my question, Inuyasha."

For a while Inuyasha was silent, struggling for something to say. Finally his shoulders slumped and he gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah, you're right."

"So you'll tell her then?"

"I honestly don't know if I can, but I promise that I'll try. Happy?"

Rin smiled. "For now. Now, go! She's waiting for you."

Kagome was playing the piano when he got there. Her hair was brushed, make up applied and he could smell the sweet scent of vanilla from her favourite soap. He crept over without making any noise, not wanting her singing to stop. When he was close enough he could see the title 'Unwritten' in bold at the top of the manuscript paper.

I am unwritten
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplannedThat you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words

She reached to turn a page, but Inuyasha's hand got there first—the page had already been flipped. Kagome didn't flinch or even break her tempo. She simply continued singing and playing with a happy smile on her lips.

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that wayThat you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skinThat you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin…

The song continued. It was quite long, but time seemed to fly as Inuyasha found himself lost in his girlfriend's voice. The lyrics seemed to flow from her mouth like honey, sending shivers down his spine whenever she reached the chorus. Eventually the last note drifted to an end and Kagome stretched and turned toward him, still smiling.

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words

No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words

"All ready, I see." Inuyasha commented, gesturing to the bag resting idly on a nearby couch.

Kagome's eyes drifted to the bag and then to the clock hanging on the wall, widening as she gasped in disbelief.

"What the-?! I completely lost track of time! We're late! I'm so sorry, if it wasn't for me and my stupid piano playing-"

Inuyasha covered her mouth with his hand. "Enough. We won't be late."

"But-"

"No buts! Come on; get on my back. I'll get you there on time, I promise."

Kagome eyed him sceptically. "Your back?"
"That's what I said. Come on."

Hesitantly Kagome slung her arms over Inuyasha's shoulders, still keeping her weight on the floor.

"I'm not too heavy for you, am I?" she asked.

Inuyasha laughed in reply. "Heavy? You? Ha! Come on; any slower and we will be late."

Without further ado Kagome lifted her weight from the ground and wrapped her legs around Inuyasha's hips. He didn't seem bothered by the weight—Kagome couldn't see or feel any tension in his muscles anywhere.

"Okay, I'm ready." She breathed.

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to hesitate. "Before we set off, can you do me a favour?"

"Sure." Kagome replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I promised myself, Kagome, that I would make you happy; that I would make you smile, just like you did in that photo you showed me."

Kagome fought against the wave of embarrassment that threatened to engulf her. "Okay… what does that have to do with this favour you were talking about?"

"Kagome, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you'll help me to fulfil that promise."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing really, I just… just trust me, okay? Can you do that?"

Kagome smiled and tightened her arms around his shoulders. "Of course." She whispered.

"Good, now let's get to school!"

With that said, Inuyasha set off at a run. Kagome let out a squeak of shock—she hadn't expected him to be that fast. Her muscles tensed and, in reply, the grip of Inuyasha's hands around her feet tightened.

"Don't be scared!" he was saying above the rush of wind, "I won't let you fall off!"

The bell still hadn't rung when Inuyasha landed safely outside the large double gates and gently lowered Kagome to the ground. He had to hold her steady for a while, for she had spent most of the trip with her entire body tense, her muscles tight and straining.

"That was… that was…" she spluttered, still leaning against his shoulder.

"Was what?" Inuyasha inquired.

"…Amazing."

Inuyasha couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Everyone that walked past turned to watch curiously as his entire body convulsed from the strength of his laughter, until eventually it died down to a small chuckle.

"You know the bell's about to ring, right?" Kagome said, amused but more than a little alarmed by Inuyasha's sudden outburst.

"Right. Let's go." Grabbing her hand, Inuyasha led the way through the throng of students and into Shikon High. For some reason, Kagome could have sworn that the school appeared brighter, more joyful than it previously had. Most likely it had something to do with having Inuyasha by her side. Although, it could have just been the weather…

No, she thought as she turned to look into her favourite amber eyes, It's definitely him.

"Well, well, well," Abi said snidely, "What do we have here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." was Kagome's cool reply.

"Tsk tsk, Kaggie; honestly, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Yura saw you leaving home with Inuyasha in tow and... well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you two were having some fun last night." She grinned and leaned closer, propping her head on her elbow. Kagome threw her a dirty look and turned back to her text book. "Whatever, it isn't like anything happened." she muttered.

Abi let out a fake gasp and placed a manicured hand over her heart. "Why, whatever do you mean? He didn't go into withdrawal, did he?"

To Kagome's utter horror she felt her face grow hot and kept her face carefully looking down so Abi wouldn't spot her blush. "Abi, nothing happened. He dropped me off home last night and picked me up this morning."

Abi's sceptical expression didn't change. "Uh huh, a likely story."

Something inside Kagome snapped and she turned her head back to her 'friend', her flushed cheeks now back to their usual colour. "Just because some enjoy leaping into the pants of every member of the opposite gender whenever they get the chance doesn't mean that I do the same thing."

Abi struggled to compose herself, her eyes shining with fury and her back stiffening, with her lips half curved into a snarl. It took her a few moments before she could speak again in her usual voice, albeit a very stiff and ice cold tone.

"Well I suppose your love life's your own business. Not that it's ever been that much of a secret; Kouga made sure of that a long time ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't suppose a pair of pink handcuffs and a top hat mean anything to you?"

"Should it?"

Abi stared at her for a moment, as though trying to spot the trace of a lie in Kagome's eyes. Eventually she stood and stretched, releasing a world-weary sigh as though she had just performed a physically mountainous task. Her eyes were completely blank and unreadable, although Kagome didn't need to read them to know what she was thinking.

"Well, I have to go and talk to Ayumi about something."

Sure you do, Kagome scoffed, Because you always have to talk to Ayumi, the little chatterbox with an empty box most would define as a brain, about something.

"Hey, Miroku." Inuyasha greeted as he sat down beside his friend, his text book slamming against the table.

Miroku, who hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings whatsoever, jumped in surprise. "Oh, hi Inuyasha." he replied dismally.

Inuyasha frowned and studied Miroku's face carefully. He had been so wrapped in his own happiness, so caught up in his own little world with Kagome, that he hadn't noticed Miroku or his appearance during home group. Now that he was looking he could see the dark circles under his eyes, made even more evident by the pale pallor of his skin. Now that he had spoken to Inuyasha Miroku's distant expression had returned and Inuyasha could tell that he had spent much of that day in the same fashion.

"You alright?" he asked.

Miroku's lips twitched into what Inuyasha guessed was supposed to be a smile. "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're not fooling anyone, Miroku. Is it about Sango?"

"Perhaps."

"I'll take that as a yes."

For a while they sat in silence. Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say and Miroku had taken on that distant look in his eyes again. It seemed to Inuyasha as though they were going to spend the whole lesson in that fashion, saying next to nothing at all. So it was with great surprise that he found Miroku breaking the silence first.

"She was walking to school with this guy today."

"Ah."

"Yeah. His name's Takeda; Takeda Kuranosuke. They were being really friendly… you know, friendly friendly."

"That may not be the case, you know."

"You haven't seen them. I just know that some day—and some day soon—he's going to ask her out and then she's going to say yes. And where is that going to leave me?"

"…You still love her, don't you?"

"I've always loved her, Inuyasha. Dumping me didn't change a thing."

There was so much more that Inuyasha wanted to say, but at that moment the Chemistry teacher walked in and began the lesson by explaining the day's assignment. Perhaps it was a good thing they didn't get to talk—Inuyasha had no idea how to comfort his friend's aching heart. It was so aggravating, being this happy while Miroku was so upset.

He needed to talk to Sango. Perhaps she could sort this out.

The first thing Sango noticed when she walked into the cafeteria was that Miroku wasn't there. It was an enormous relief—getting through home group had been torturous—but at the same time she felt a big douse of disappointment settling in her stomach.

She just couldn't imagine her life without Miroku. He had always been there for her, through the good and the bad, and although his perverted ways had often thrown them into conflict, he had understood her better than anyone else she had ever known. Not seeing him there, even if he still wore the hurt she had pushed on him when she dumped him, felt like a metaphor to what may happen in the future—some day, it was saying, he was going to disappear from her life completely. She didn't want that. Not at all.

"…So Amari had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to be doing, and here was the teacher, yelling at him, far out it was hilarious!" Takeda was explaining, "You should have been there; it was just so—Sango? Are you listening to me?"

Sango blinked and turned toward him. "Sorry Takeda, what were you saying?"

"I was just talking about… oh, never mind. So where do you usually sit?"

Sango sighed inwardly. Takeda was nice and all, but she couldn't help but wish that he would just leave her alone. It wasn't exactly a secret that Takeda liked her and now that she had broken up with Miroku, he had obviously decided that it was time to make his advances. But it wasn't a good time at all—Miroku was all she could think about; she couldn't direct her mind to anything else.

And now here she was, sitting at their table—hers and Miroku's, that was—with Takeda. It wasn't right. And he still wouldn't shut up. Did he ever stop talking? Would she respect him more if she hadn't broken up with Miroku the day before?

Where was Miroku, anyway? Had he decided not to come because he knew she was there? Did he hate her? Of course he hated her; she had broken up with him, for goodness sake!

With a loud huff another unwanted person sat down beside them, making the chair legs scrape against the ground as she pulled out the plastic chair and giving her hair an unnecessary flip.

"I hate him!" she said shrilly.

Sango didn't say anything. Kikyo wasn't exactly someone she wanted to deal with at that moment.

Unfortunately Kikyo had other ideas. She waited for a couple of seconds for someone to ask something and when no one did, she launched into an explanation anyway.

"I mean seriously, I've texted him, like, a hundred times and he hasn't replied once! I'm his girlfriend, for goodness sake! What does he think he's playing at?!"

Sango remained silent. Takeda had stopped talking and was now looking at Kikyo with a puzzled expression.

"Why's he ignoring you?" he asked curiously.

Great; he's given her an audience! Sango groaned. Now she'll never shut up!

Kikyo gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, he's just so paranoid. I mean, the other day I was talking to one of my guy friends and he comes up all macho-like, saying I'm cheating on him!"

"So he's a jerk, then?" Takeda asked.

Kikyo nodded. "Yep… although jerk doesn't quite cover it. He's so aggravating! Seriously, I shouldn't have to give up my friends just because they're of the opposite gender!"

Ouch. Poor Inuyasha, Sango thought as she watched Kikyo continue to vent her feelings on Takeda, who appeared all too happy to listen. I guess he deserved it, though… I mean, of all the people he could have picked to be his girlfriend, he picked Kikyo.

"…And now I know he's cheating on me with this other girl," Kikyo was saying, "Which doesn't make any sense, because this girl is a total loser who doesn't know what being nice means. Not to mention she's the ugliest thing I've ever laid eyes on."

"What makes you think he's cheating on you?" Takeda questioned.

Kikyo snorted. "It's obvious. He's always with her, and they're always wearing these huge smiles like the world's their oyster. And they're always giving each other 'the Look'… you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Takeda nodded grimly. "Ah yes, the Look."

"Yeah, that look. It's driving me crazy! I mean come on; just because I have friends who happen to be of the opposite gender doesn't mean he's supposed to go and cheat on me with the first girl he sees!"

"So what are you going to do?"

Kikyo blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"What are you going to do? You can't just sit back and let him cheat on you, can you?"

"No! I'm just… I'm going to go up and slap some sense into him!"

Sango mentally sniggered as she imagined what would happen if Kikyo did slap Inuyasha. Seeing as he was a hanyou, she doubted that much of Kikyo's face would survive the returned blow from him, although it was highly unlikely that Inuyasha would ever strike a woman…

Still, a girl could dream.

And besides, she would hardly count Kikyo as a human being, let alone a woman.

While Takeda and Kikyo continued their discussion on 'the jerk who didn't deserve her', Sango's thoughts wandered back to Miroku. What had he done to her? Even though she had been the one who had dumped him, he still maintained a huge amount of control over her heart. Did he feel the same? Or was he off somewhere with another girl, making out in one of the empty classrooms right at that very moment?

"Where were you at recess?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Sorry. Miroku and I had an accident during Chemistry and we both ended up with detention." Inuyasha explained.

"Oh. What happened?"

"Dunno exactly. We must have mixed the wrong chemicals… it's easy to get them mixed up, you know."

"Oh…"

They walked to the cafeteria in comfortable silence, hand in hand, where they stood in line with the rest of the students waiting to receive their lunch. When their turn came Kagome ordered her usual salad, while Inuyasha asked for two hamburgers.

"You're seriously going to eat all that?" Kagome asked. She wasn't being snappish; just curious.

Inuyasha simply shrugged.

The usual crowd was gathered around the usual table. They were talking in low voices amidst many stifled sniggers and chuckles, but immediately ceased to do so when Inuyasha and Kagome stepped within earshot. It sent alarm bells sounding in Kagome's head.

"Kagome, darling!" Bankotsu said with cheer, enveloping her in a hug. "How are you, my dear? Been taking care of yourself? I see Inuyasha's still here, and just as cute as he was before I left, eh?"

Kagome laughed and patted Bankotsu's arm as she sat down. "Sorry, honey. The next time there's a hot guy wandering around the school I'll send him straight in your direction."

Everyone except Inuyasha seemed startled by her mood, which radiated happiness instead of the snappish tone it usually contained.

Bankotsu was the first to snap from his reverie. "You're too kind." He said with a smile, albeit a nervous look in his eyes.

For a while everyone gossiped as per usual, maintaining care in what they said around Kagome. Kagome made an effort to appear no different, as though nothing had happened the night before. But it proved difficult—she couldn't remember how to keep her face impassive and thoughts of how warm and comforting Inuyasha had been… it brought a blush to her cheeks just thinking about it.

"You're not going to eat your salad again?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

Everyone instantly fell silent. The atmosphere in the room changed—it was as though all eyes were on the couple, even though it was impossible that every single person in the cafeteria had heard the casual question.

What is he doing? Kagome asked herself, her heart hammering with nervousness. She tried to read the hanyou's eyes, but his expression remained completely calm and composed.

Not knowing what else to do, she shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"It matters to me."

Inuyasha's hand closed around one of the hamburgers and passed it to her, his eyes never leaving hers. She stared at the item for a long time, still trying to dispel the shock.

"Eat." Inuyasha ordered.

Much to Kagome's disgust, she felt her cheeks grow hot and knew they would be shining pink or even red at that moment. She set her most deathly glare on Inuyasha. What was he playing at?

"Trust me," Inuyasha whispered, "I made a promise, and now I'm going to keep it."

"Before we set off, can you do me a favour?"

"Sure." Kagome replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I promised myself, Kagome, that I would make you happy; that I would make you smile, just like you did in that photo you showed me."

"Okay… what does that have to do with this favour you were talking about?"

"Kagome, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you'll help me to fulfil that promise."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing really, I just… just trust me, okay? Can you do that?"

"Of course."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned back to the burger. The meat was dripping with fat—although she couldn't see most of it, she could tell from how soggy the bun was. The cheese that stuck out around the edges glistened and taunted her. How many calories? She had no idea. She didn't want to know, either.

"No. I'm not going to take your lunch."

"I bought that burger for you, Kagome; not for me."

Another minute passed in silence. Now the entire cafeteria was watching; waiting in anticipation for what would happen next. But Kagome only had eyes for Inuyasha. His amber orbs shone only with the overwhelming need to care for her…

With a sigh she brought the burger to her mouth. Her mind momentarily flashed to the scales sitting in the bathroom and how often she had stood there, staring at the numbers in horror and disgust. She remembered how she had stood in front of the mirror, dreaming of the perfect weight, with a stomach she couldn't see and thighs to match. Then she let her teeth fall onto the bun, wincing slightly as it sank beneath them, and bit off a small portion of the food.

It was just as she had feared. She could feel the fat oozing from the meat into her mouth, could taste the thickly spread butter on both sides of the bun, along with the strong taste of cheese.

And, worse than everything else, deep inside she wanted more.

It was with reluctance that she pulled away and hastily handed the hamburger back to Inuyasha, still feeling the pressure of hundreds of eyes boring into her back. They were whispering now—it started off quietly, but soon became loud, almost deafening in Kagome's ears.

"Thank you." Inuyasha murmured in her ear, giving her hand a squeeze underneath the table.

Kagome just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to shout and curse and hit the hanyou with all her strength, but she couldn't. All of the fury died as soon as she looked into those gorgeous amber eyes, because within them she could only see the deepest and sincerest concern for her wellbeing.

Clearing her throat, she turned to Yura and asked her a question. She couldn't really remember what the question was, but it was enough to start the demoness chatting away like nothing had happened. Soon the entire group was talking and laughing. Only Kagome and Inuyasha remained silent, because neither had anything to say. Instead they clutched each other's hands beneath the table, constantly glancing at each other until their lunch period ended.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked anxiously. School had finished and he and Kagome were walking to Kagome's house. Kagome had been awfully quiet since the incident during lunch—she had barely spoken a word to him.

Breaking from her reverie, Kagome flashed him a quick smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Oh, you know; everything, basically."

They lapsed into silence again. Inuyasha didn't like it; it wasn't peaceful or companionable, but felt more like an invisible barrier was separating them and stopping them from communicating.

"You're not angry with me, are you? About what happened at lunch? You can say so, if you are. You have every right to be angry…"

"No, I'm not angry."

Inuyasha blinked and looked into her eyes, searching for the traces of a lie in the blue-grey abysses he had once found so cold and uncaring. He couldn't find any. "You're not?"

"No, not at all. I'm just… tired."

"Tired? Tired of what?"

Kagome sighed. "Everything. I'm tired of being a heartless witch who everyone despises. I'm sick of hanging around a bunch of phonies who will willingly stab me in the back whenever I turn around. I'm tired of being me… no actually, that's wrong. I'm tired of pretending to be me. For once I'd just like everything to be straightforward, with no strings attached."

Inuyasha smiled. "Like me?"

"Yeah; just like you."

"Maybe I can help you with that."

"Maybe… if you can put up with me, that is."

"Oh, I think I can manage."

"I sure hope so."

"So if I was to keep on helping you, you know… make changes… would that be okay?"

Kagome hesitated. "Yeah, I guess. Nothing too outrageous, though."

"I'll try, but you have to help me to help you."

"Yeah, I know."

They smiled at each other. How did it come to this? Kagome thought. When did I ever start relying on other people? How did I ever survive before I met you, Inuyasha?

Even as she looked at him, Kagome figured that she already knew the answer. I suppose I was never really living before I met you. I was just… dreaming; moving through every day without ever digesting what was going on around me. You helped me to move back to reality. I wish Souta could meet you. Maybe sometime he will. But for now, you're my knight in shining armour; mine and no one else's.

Kagome's grin widened at that thought. She liked the idea; her knight. Her hanyou. Her Inuyasha.

All hers.

Wow...

...Just...wow...

So many reviews! Thanks guys! :D

...Reviews...

Daeth101 Fox version: Thank you! :)

Kattana: Aww I'm sorry I made you cry. And the women all being beautiful thing... AMEN TO THAT!! :D

xxRockerElla: Lol thank you for the fabulous review!

MeiunTenshi: Haha glad to see you're liking it so far...

hedanicree: Hehe I like to keep the 'mystery and intrigue' factor in my stories, because stories where you can read the entire plot are, in my opinion, just plain boring :)

Alex's Tsuki-chan: lol THANK YOU

phoebe448: Sorry my update was so slow :(

Sassybratt: I'm one of those people who believes that there's good in everyone, so I wanted to show that in Naraku, unlike my other story. I'm glad you liked it! :)

Kitkatka101: D: Nuuuu! I bagsed bashing him up first!

JoBrosCupcakeSwirl: Sorry the update was slow... :(

Softly Spoken Words: Well, you were partially right... there's quite a few things wrong with the Kagome in this story, really. Inuyasha's there to straighten her up, though :)

BoredGirl17: Really? It's changed that much? In a good way or a bad way? And be honest, coz I like to know what I can improve on :)

brokenchaos: Lol yes, now let's see if you can guess what will happen in the NEXT chapter. ;)

Say0mi Saki: Yup, I'm just one of those fluff-lovers.

Vampire Knights: Thanks!

hpgrl95: Sorry I took so long to update... you probably thought that I DID forget it xD;

Silent Screams7294: Thanks! :)

TiffanyM: Justin Nozuka + Jason Mraz equals love