Chapter 10: THERE AND BACK AGAIN
"I love you," Kagome said softly before she flipped her cell phone shut and jumped off of her bed.
Without hesitating a second, she dashed out of her bedroom and down the hall. She slid to a stop in front of Koga's bedroom door and started banging on it.
"What?!" Came the moody reply from the other side.
"Are you up?" She asked as she pushed open the door and then paused to ask a more important question. "Are you dressed?"
"Yes. But if you don't want me to be..."
"No. No," she said quickly shaking her head. "Sess just called and said that he won't be home until tomorrow night."
"And?" Koga asked wondering why that would make her so happy.
"We can start my training," she squealed as she bounced up and down.
"Oh. Yeah okay. We'll start right after breakfast in the morning."
"But there's still a few hours of day light left. Couldn't we start tonight?"
"But we've been riding all day. I'm sore and tired from having to sleep in the back of a truck last night."
"Come on. Please?" She begged. "All you have to do is sit there and give me pointers."
She looked at him with a soft expression and his resolve crumbled instantly.
"Alright, knock it off already would ya? But we're only working in the foam pit," he cautioned.
"Yay! Let me go change and I'll meet you out there."
She darted from the room and Koga heaved a sigh.
"What have I gotten myself into?" He wondered aloud.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
"So you've been hanging around long enough to know the basics," Koga began as he stood next to Kagome. "Just try a few times to get the feel for it."
"Okay." She smiled.
"Why does she get to start on an eighty and we had to start on the stupid BMX bikes?" Hiten asked.
"Because we've only got a day to teach her," Inu answered.
Kagome kick-started her dirt bike with ease and while it idled she pulled on her helmet.
"I must say this is the most stylish attire that I've seen anyone attempt a back flip in thus far," Jakotsu said grinning.
Kagome was wearing black, turquoise, and white plaid Bermuda shorts, with a black tank top and her white Fox motorcycle boots.
"You look adorable Kags," Jakotsu cooed.
She laughed. "Thank you."
"Inuyasha's working the cable for you and if you get into trouble he'll help you out," Inu explained.
"Inu..." Kagome said sweetly. "This isn't my first time falling into the pit."
"I know." He smiled down at her. "Be safe."
She nodded and he stepped back.
"Are you ready?" Koga asked.
She nodded with a determined 'yes' and he tapped the top of her helmet.
"Good luck," he said.
"Luck is for losers," she joked.
"Ha! You sound like the Ice Boy," Koga laughed trying not to show how worried he was.
Kagome pinned the throttle and let the clutch out, taking off towards the ramp. Everyone watched her first run on baited breath. She went up the ramp and pulled her bike around in a flip then landed into the foam with a 'whoosh'. She made her first attempt at a back flip look as if she had done one a million times. Everyone erupted into cheers once it sank in whathad happened.
"I knew she'd get it the first time," Inu said proudly.
"I can't believe how smooth she made that look," Bankotsu said in awe.
"She's flawless," Naraku breathed not realizing that he had said it aloud.
Koga shot him an angry glare which Naraku missed. Koga didn't like the way he had been acting around Kagome since Sesshomaru had left. Something about that guy just wasn't right. The way he had said that last comment wasn't right either. It sounded like way more than a congratulatory remark.
Kagome was squealing with delight as Inuyasha got her and her bike out of the foam pit and set her once more on the asphalt. She quickly kick-started her bike and rode down to where the others were waiting.
"Whoo! Can I try it on dirt now?" She asked.
"No!" Koga practically shouted. "I mean, that was your first attempt," he back pedaled. "Try it into there a few more times okay?
She nodded as he pointed to the foam pit.
"This bike's harder to pull around then I thought it would be," Kagome commented absently.
"Wait until it's a two-fifty." Koga laughed.
"Ugh. Do I have to do it on a two-fifty? Can't I just stay on an eighty?" She whined.
Koga snorted at her question. She should have known better.
"No. You wouldn't get the burst of speed you need to get high enough to do any decent tricks. Let alone a back flip," he explained, knowing that she already knew those facts.
"Fine," she pouted.
"Kags, you should totally enter the novice division with us at the next comp," Hakkaku said as he patted her on the back.
"Yeah you have some wicked skills," Ginta cheered.
"You should enter. It would be fun to watch you put some of those boys in their places," Jakotsu said smiling.
Kagome looked to Inu for an approval.
"If you want to...I'll help you out with the entries and that punk of a boyfriend you have," He answered.
"Alright! You guys will have to help me with my trick list," she answered happily. Still on her euphoric high from completing her first back flip.
"Now that's funny." Hiten laughed. "We should be asking you for help in that department."
Kagome shrugged. "But I've never beenin a competition before."
"You'll do fine," Bankotsu assured her. "You know as much about them as we do."
"Seriously," Ginta added.
"We're running out of day light," Inu stated. "Get a few more runs in before it gets dark."
Kagome nodded and turned her bike around before taking off towards the ramp again.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
Koga shuffled from his bedroom dressed, but still half asleep.
"She is so not worth getting up at six in the morning for," he grumbled as he clumsily walked down the stairs.
Once he reached the bottom he could hear Kagome softly humming to herself and the sound of dishes clanging together. When he rounded the corner he heaved a sigh when he caught site of the table. It was loaded with food. It had everything from eggs to toast and his absolute favorite; pancakes. Kagome turned around with a pitcher of orange juice in hand and noticed Koga standing in the entryway.
"Good morning," she greeted with a bright smile. "I hope you're hungry."
Koga nodded and closed the distance to the table before pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Why so much?" He questioned as he surveyed the banquet before him.
"Everyone's supposed to be here soon. I suggest you get started now. You know how Inuyasha and Inu can be."
She returned to the stove as Sango helped Miroku down the stairs on his crutches.
"Something smells fantastic," Miroku commented, alerting Kagome to their presence.
"Oh good, I was hoping that you two would make it down before the others got here," Kagome said as she pulled out a chair for Miroku.
"Thanks," he said gratefully.
"Everything looks so good Kags," Sango said as she too took a seat. "You've been busy this morning. Why didn't you come ask me for help?"
"Oh it's no big deal. Besides, you're my guest. I'd be a horrible host if I made you cook for me."
Sango laughed.
"You couldn't sleep, could you?" Koga asked with a knowing grin.
Kagome sighed and slumped down into an empty chair.
"Not for more than an hour."
Koga laughed.
"So what time do you expect Sesshomaru to be back?" Miroku asked as he dished himself a plate-full of potatoes.
"Not before one," Kagome answered looking to the front door as it opened.
Inuyasha entered followed by the back flip academy students, with Inu bringing up the rear. Kagome popped up out of her chair with a warm smile.
"Sorry guys. There aren't enough chairs so some of you will have to eat in the living room."
"Don't worry about silly things like that," Inu playfully scolded. "The fact that you're even allowing these heathens into your house amazes me."
"Hey!" Jakotsu protested. "I take exception to that remark."
Hiten laughed. "Why? You're as out of control as the rest of us."
"Still," Jakotsu said pretending to pout as Kagome handed him a plate.
"Making you all breakfast is the least that I could do since you're all helping me out."
"You're trying to bribe us through our stomachs," Inuyasha commented as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth.
Kagome grinned mischievously.
"It's just a little insurance in case any of you decide to squeal on me."
"No one here would do that to you Kags," Koga informed her. "Although...I might consider it if you refuse to make me your homemade cinnamon rolls for the next week."
"Don't you dare black-mail her into feeding you," Sango snapped.
To emphasize her point, Sango rapped him on the back of the hand with her fork.
"Ow! I'm only kidding," Koga cried. Once Sango went back to eating he added quietly. "Two days will be enough; especially if she brings them to me in bed."
"Why you!" Sango huffed.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Koga laughed as he attempted to block Sango's attack.
Inu shook his head as he turned to Kagome who was watching the fray with a grin.
"I took the liberty of printing out the entries for the Monster Games for you. I filled them out already; all you have to do is sign them."
"Thanks. I'm...not sure if I'll be doing it though, Kagome said unsure.
Inu watched her with a look of concern.
"Don't worry about what Sesshomaru will say. If you want to enter, then do it. Tell him to kiss your ass."
Kagome couldn't help but giggle.
"I'm not so sure that would work. He might take me up on the offer."
"Hm. Not that I could blame him..." Inu said and smirked when Kagome blushed. "I will take care of him should he decide to get out of hand," He assured her.
Kagome turned to smile at him.
"In that case, where do I sign?"
"That's my girl." Inu smiled before taking a drink from his glass of orange juice. "Don't let him hold you back. You're far too talented to be taking that kind of shit."
Kagome smiled and reached out to take his much larger hand in her own. They shared a look of understanding before Kagome turned to hand Naraku a plate.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
"Nice and easy, like yesterday," Inu half shouted over the high pitched sound of Kagome's two-fifty.
She nodded and continued to stare straight ahead at the steel ramp to the foam pit. Day two of her training had begun. It was nearing seven-thirty and she had hoped that they would have been out there earlier; unfortunately she didn't take into account how much those boys would eat. Inuyasha was on the verge a being sick he had stuffed so much food down his throat. She smirked at the thought, causing Inu to wonder what she could be thinking of.
"I know I don't need to tell you, but I'm going to say it anyway. You'll need more speed-" He began.
"If I already know this then why are you telling me?" She asked finally turning to look at him.
"You've picked up some unfortunate habits from that son of mine," He chided.
Kagome cocked her head to the side as she considered his words.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just a little anxious is all."
Inu smiled in understanding.
"I know little one," he said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I also know that it's a waste of my breath to tell you that if you're not up to doing this, you don't have to."
Kagome looked back to the ramp.
"It's something that I've wanted to do for such a long time," she began, not really talking to Inu. "Then the whole idea of getting to play on the same field as Sess for once is somewhat...scary. But it's really exciting at the same time."
He nodded.
"Kagome," He interjected. "I have every confidence in you that you will go out there and win that competition. If you have a back flip in your arsenal of tricks or not, I doubt it will make much of a difference."
Kagome turned to smile at him before adding, "But if I throw down a back flip, I'll be untouchable."
He grinned broadly before patting her on the back.
"Don't let the weight of the bike scare you," he said, suddenly changing the subject. "You don't have the upper-body strength like the boys. It might take a few tries to get used to it and figure out how to compensate."
She nodded and picked her left foot up off of the pavement, setting it on the foot-peg and readied for her first attempt.
'No big deal. The bike is just a little bigger that's all. I can do this.' She mentally prepared herself.
With one final deep breath she let out the clutch and sped towards the ramp. She had taken that ramp many times and felt comfortable with it. As she reached the top she prepared to pull the heavy bike around in a flip. Try as she might, she didn't have enough momentum and couldn't complete the rotation, landing safely into the foam on her back with the bike landing a couple of feet away. The group let out a collective groan of disappointment.
"I thought for sure that she'd get it the first time," Hakkaku said dejectedly.
"That bike outweighs her by almost double. Give her a few times to get used to it," Koga said with a proud grin.
Kagome kick-started her bike once she was back on the ground and didn't waste any time getting back down to the starting area where Inu was waiting for her.
"Okay," she began, a little out of breath. "Now that I've gotten falling out of the way...I need to start trying to pull back a little sooner I think." She looked over her shoulder at Inu for his input.
"Sounds like a plan. You're the one that needs to find the niche," he answered her silent question.
Kagome nodded and took off towards the ramp once again full of confidence. She could do this! It wasn't any different than learning any of the other tricks that Sesshomaru had taught her. A small part of her wished that he was the one waiting for her to ride back to him and offer her pointers. She also knew better. He was going to come completely unglued when he found out about this. She smirked as she headed up the ramp, thinking of the look on his face when she performed one in the competition that she still had to tell him about. This time slightly before she reached the end of the ramp, she began to pull on the bike. It came around in a graceful arc and landed with the back wheel coming down before the front.
"A slight over-rotation, but she can fix that easy enough," Koga commented.
"I wouldn't believe it if I had not just seen that!" Hiten shouted. "She...just did a God damned back flip. On a friggin' two-fifty!"
"Ten bucks when she gets over here she'll want to take it onto dirt," Bankotsu said turning to Naraku.
"There's nothing to bet against. Of course she'll want to," Jakotsu said before Naraku could say anything.
"That, boys, just set the first spark to something much larger. Kagome is going to not only be the first female to enter a freestyle competition, but she is going to be the first female to complete a back flip in competition," Inu said full of pride.
He silently prayed that Sesshomaru would see this in the same light. Kagome was talented. Far beyond most men that attended the competitions. He could see Sesshomaru's side of this, he wanted to protect her. Well that was all fine and dandy, but Inu had learned a long time ago that you sometimes had to let the one's you love go out on their own and try the things that cause you to lose sleep at night. He would never allow anyone, other than Izayoi, to know how much worry he had gone through ever since both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had taken up this sport. As much as he wanted to put his foot down and forbid them to attempt the cockamamie ideas for tricks they came up with, he had to let them crash and burn a few times to figure it out themselves. Loving them meant the he had to step back and pray for their safety. He again sent up a silent prayer that Sesshomaru could understand that.
Kagome rode past the others and straight to Inu.
"I did it!" She cried. "A little bit of an over rotation but, I did it!"
Inu smiled.
"It was truly something to behold," he said softly.
Kagome nodded, not really sure what he had said, but she assumed it was something that would be under the category of praise.
"Spot your landing throughout the entire rotation," Koga said as he moved up to Inu's side.
"I got a little distracted when I realized that I was actually doing it," Kagome admitted.
"That could cause you a painful wreck when you're not falling into foam," Inu cautioned.
"It won't happen again," Kagome assured him with a smile.
"You're wasting time," Naraku said suddenly joining the conversation. "If you want to be able to practice on dirt today, you need to work all of these little snags out."
Inu eyed him suspiciously before he agreed.
"He's right. We'll have time to discuss things after Sesshomaru's back. Well, not in front of him obviously," he added with a chuckle. "Go again."
Kagome nodded and rode off to make a large sweeping turn before she headed towards the ramp again.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
Kagome sat astride her dirt bike waiting for Koga and Inu to finish debating where the best location to place the steel ramp was. They had been at it for close to ten minutes now and it was wearing on her last nerve.
'Don't they remember that we've only got another hour at best?' She wondered to herself before heaving a bored sigh. 'Let's just get on with it. If I crash, then the ramp wasn't in the right spot.'
She looked down at the hard, unforgiving ground beneath her boots and shook her head. No, playing crash-test dummy was not something that she wanted to do today.
"It needs to be at least ten feet back from where it is now," Inu instructed calmly.
"It's fine where it is," Koga countered. "She's not going for a record distance here."
"No, but I would like her to be able to get a rotation in and land without breaking her neck," Inu said forcefully.
"She can do that with where the ramp is now."
"Why don't you let Kagome decide?" Jakotsu offered, turning to smile at Kagome.
"Pft! Like she'd know where to put the ramp," Hiten laughed.
Everyone looked at him with cold glares, causing him to rethink his outburst. Kagome brushed it off, knowing that Hiten didn't mean anything by the comment. Or at least that's what she told herself. After all she'd never attempted a back flip onto dirt before.
"What's the distance that the ramp will be at the competition?" She asked.
"Uh...the ramp that you'd want to hit for a back flip would probably be set at..." Koga said as he mentally calculated the distance. With a sigh of defeat he finished, "Right where Inu said to put it."
Inu grinned triumphantly but said nothing. Mumbling to himself, Koga walked back to the backhoe and started it up once again. He shifted the massive piece of equipment into reverse and drug the ramp backwards roughly ten feet. Inuyasha unhooked the heavy chains that were attached to the ramp and Koga then pulled away to park the backhoe off to the side where it would be out of the way. While everyone watched the production, Sango had appeared at Kagome's side.
"Hey," she greeted with a smile. "So you're really doing this?"
"Yep, now that they've finally agreed where to put the ramp," Kagome answered with a grin.
"I'm assuming that practicing into the foam pit went well then?"
"I got in about twenty runs," Kagome said, intentionally not mentioning the runs where she didn't complete the trick.
"Aren't you scared?" Sango asked finally.
Kagome turned away from her, looking back towards the ramp.
"Nope," she lied.
She was nervous beyond belief but it wasn't about trying a back flip onto dirt for the first time. She worried that Sesshomaru would arrive home earlier then he had anticipated.
"Okay Kags. Let 'er rip!" Koga shouted from near the ramp.
Kagome nodded and kick-started her bike before riding towards him. When she reached him she stopped and they waited for Inuyasha and Inu to join them.
"Nervous?" Inuyasha asked.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Kagome wondered aloud.
Inuyasha shrugged.
"I was scared shitless my first time," he said honestly.
"I'm more worried that we're going to be joined by a certain youkai at any moment."
Inu looked at his watch.
"He won't be here for another forty-five minutes. We've got plenty of time," he assured her.
"Now, it's the same as in the pit but obviously you won't have a nice soft landing," Koga pointed out.
"Obviously," Kagome echoed.
"Remember to spot your landing the entire time," Inu instructed.
"Be hauling ass when you get to the ramp," Inuyasha added.
"Commit one hundred percent from the beginning," Koga inserted.
"Be safe," Inu said with a squeeze to her shoulder. "Above all else."
Kagome smiled at the three of them, their obvious concern was written across their faces.
"Okay, let's get this first one out of the way," she said as she picked her left foot up off of the ground.
The three men nodded and stepped out of the way to let her pass. She slowly made her way to a clear spot about forty feet from the ramp and turned around. Everyone moved into one large group as they waited for her to go.
"I can't believe that we've been working at this for two weeks almost and we've just started on dirt on stupid pit bikes and she's out here on a frickin' two-fifty when she just started last night," Hiten complained to Bankotsu.
"She's spent every second with Sesshomaru while he was learning and while he's been teaching others," Naraku said. "I think that she's qualified."
The half of the group that heard his comment looked to him briefly before turning their attention back to Kagome. She took off sending sand, gravel, and leaves spraying behind her. She closed the distance to the ramp increasing her speed by the second, easily shifting through the gears. She raced up the ramp and let the momentum carry her into the air. She pulled the bike around pushing herself forward over the front then pulling back as she shifted her weight towards the rear fender. As she neared the ground for her landing, she realized that she had under-rotated and was going to land with her front wheel down first.
'Crap!' She shouted in her mind as she thought of the best way to attempt to land.
Realizing that there was only one way that this was going to end, she clung to the bike and clenched her teeth and her eyes shut. Inu and Koga began running forward long before she neared the ground, noticing the under-rotation before Kagome did.
"Oh God." Sango breathed and buried her face into Jakotsu's shoulder since he was the closest person to her.
The others gasped as the front wheel of Kagome's bike slammed into the ground sending her over the handlebars and through the air once again. She landed on her hip but let her body roll with the force, finally rolling to a stop a few feet later. She laid face down and unmoving, fearing that if she moved she'd find out that something was broken.
"Kagome!" Inu shouted as he ran to her side.
He fell to his knees next to her and reached out to grab her, suddenly stopping himself from pulling her onto her back. If she was severally injured that would be the worst thing to do. He gently touched her shoulder as Koga slid to a stop next to him.
"Is she okay?!" He half yelled.
"Kagome?" Inu asked softly.
"Ow...ouch," she choked out.
Her lungs burned as she tried to fill them with the air they so desperately needed.
"Oh thank God," Inu whispered, happy that she wasn't unconscious as he had originally feared. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"
Kagome thought about his question. Where didn't she hurt?
"Everywhere," she finally answered as she remained unmoving.
"I'm going to help you onto your back okay?" Inu asked.
Kagome didn't answer and he gently rolled her over. Her eyes instantly met his.
"I under-rotated...again."
Koga and Inu both let out a weak chuckle.
"Yeah," Inu agreed.
Kagome then attempted to sit up, and with some assistance from Inu, finally achieved success.
"Okay, so...what do I need to do to fix that?" She asked after a few deep breaths.
"You're crazy," Koga said flatly.
"I need to know so I can fix it," she continued.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" Inu asked as he checked her over.
"Yes. A little out of breath but I'm okay." Kagome smiled and moved to stand up.
Koga reached down to her and she grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"Thanks," she coughed. "Is the bike still going to run?"
They all turned to look at the bike. Inuyasha and Bankotsu were lifting it off of the ground. The front wheel was bent almost in half and both of the front forks were bent.
"It's not looking so good," Koga finally said.
"Is there another one that I can use until I get Inuyasha to fix that one?" She asked.
"Are you sure that you want to try again so soon?" Inu questioned, the concerned obvious in his voice.
"Yes," Kagome answered immediately. "I've don't have much time and I might not get to work on them again before the competition."
"Alright," Inu sighed. "Koga-"
"I'll be right back," he cut across Inu, knowing that he was going to be asked to retrieve another bike for Kagome.
"Do you want to sit down?" Inu asked as he continued to hold onto Kagome as they slowly made their way towards Inuyasha and Bankotsu.
"No. I think that I need to keep moving before I get stiff or something."
He nodded. It never ceased to amaze him that she was so resilient. They stopped when they reached the crumpled up mess that was her bike. The rest of the group came over, they had stayed put before, not wanting to get in the way. Sango latched onto Kagome with a hug.
"Are you okay?!" She cried.
Kagome laughed.
"Yeah, I bounce well," she answered as Sango let go of her.
"That was a hard fall. I can't believe you're a human," Hiten said in awe. "You're a girl. Shouldn't you be crying or something?"
Kagome shot him a glare.
"Can beating your ass be the 'or something'?" She asked seriously.
Hiten laughed nervously.
"Point taken," he mumbled.
"You're one tough cookie Kags," Jakotsu complemented.
She simply smiled at him from behind her helmet. Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Naraku drug her bike out of the way as Koga returned riding one of the 'beater' bikes. He stepped off and held the bike for Kagome to get on. She swung her leg over the seat and sat down with a slow hiss. Her hip was killing her.
'I'm going to have a nice bruise on it I bet.' She thought as she moved to ride down to her starting point again.
Once she rode off everyone moved out of the way. Sango grabbed Inu's arm.
"Are you sure that she should be doing this?" She asked.
"I doubt that I could stop her," Inu said honestly, turning to watch Kagome as she started towards the ramp.
Kagome gripped the handlebars tightly, determined to complete a back flip and land it. She went up the ramp and pulled the bike around using her weight again, but this time she started a fraction of a second later then she had for her first run. She completed the rotation and landed well, but hard; the impact jarring her back and causing her to almost lose control of the bike. The bike bogged down slightly in the soft sand so she twisted the throttle a little more and gained the extra traction she needed. After getting the bike back under control she made a wide turn and rode back to the others, still in shock of what had happened.
"Kags!" Sango cried. "You did it!"
Koga wrapped his arms around Kagome's trembling form and held her tight.
"I knew you could do it," he said softly.
"Alright. Alright," Inu said pulling on Koga's shoulder. "Let the poor thing have some air."
As soon as Koga complied Inu latched onto Kagome with a fierce hug of his own. He held her tight for a few seconds before he released her and leaned back slightly, looking her in the eyes.
"How's your back?" He asked.
"Huh?" Kagome asked confused.
"You took quite a beating during that landing," Inu explained. "Not to worry. I'm sure you'll feel it tomorrow."
"Gee. Thanks," Kagome mumbled. "The backflip itself felt a lot better that time."
"That's because you did it right," Inuyasha said with a laugh.
"It's also probably because you landed it," Jakotsu added.
"Now, I know you're not over the last run, but you've maybe got another fifteen minutes before we need to get you cleaned up," Inu informed her.
"Right. I'm ready for another. That feeling will never get old," Kagome said grinning as she once again kick-started her bike and took off towards her starting area.
Within those last fifteen minutes she landed six back flips; four of them with rock solid landings. Inu insisted that Kagome go and get cleaned up while they took the bikes back. Beginning to feel the effects of hitting the ground, she decided that taking a hot shower sounded way better than putting the bikes away. She and Sango took the golf cart that Sango had driven over, back to the house while Inu rode the running dirt bike back to the garage. Inuyasha, Koga, and Bankotsu loaded the thrashed bike into the bucket of the backhoe and Koga drove it back to the garage. Once there Koga and Inuyasha immediately began to work on switching out the forks and wheel, hoping that Sesshomaru wouldn't return before they finished their task. Coming up with a believable story of how Kagome's bike had ended up in that condition wouldn't have been much fun; especially with Sesshomaru breathing down their necks.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
Sesshomaru walked through the front door of his house a little surprised when Kagome hadn't met him on the porch and he definitely knew something was up when she wasn't waiting for him in the living room.
"Kags?" He called out expecting her to emerge from the kitchen.
When she didn't he headed for the stares, duffel bag in hand, and started to make his way towards their bedroom. He also thought that it was odd that Koga hadn't been lounging around and just where the hell were Miroku and Sango? He walked down the hall and walked through the doorway stopping when he caught sight of the bed. Kagome was sleeping on top of the comforter wearing a pair of his boxers and a tank top. Her hair was still damp, so she had obviously just taken a shower. With a devious smirk he stepped forward, dropping his duffel bag near the end of the bed just before he sat on the edge of it next to Kagome. She shifted in her sleep when the bed shifted with his weight but didn't wake up. He was torn. He hadn't seen her in three days and he really wanted to wake her up. On the other hand, if she was sleeping in the middle of the day she must have been really tired. Which in turn lead him to wonder why she would be so tired. Without really thinking about it, he gently ran his hand up her bare arm before pushing a few stray locks of her hair behind her ear. She gave a sleepy sigh with the contact and her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Sess?" She asked in an equally sleepy tone.
He ginned when she smiled and turned over onto her back. He placed a hand on the bed next to her right side while his other hand returned to her left arm. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. They shared a soft, slow kiss before he pulled away.
"Welcome home," she greeted sounding more awake.
"It's good to be back," he replied with a smile. "Where is everyone?"
"Hm? Oh they're probably over at the guest house. Izayoi was going to make lunch for everyone."
He ran his thumb over her skin in an unseen pattern while he listened.
"Why aren't you over there?" He asked.
"I was tired so I decided to take a nap."
"I'm sorry that I woke you."
"Don't be. I'm glad that you did," she said as she reached up with her left hand and ran it around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss.
After a moment they reluctantly pulled apart and Sesshomaru pushed himself off of the bed. Kagome joined him seconds later and pulled him into a hug.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"It was fun actually. I got to hang out with Jeremy McGrath for a while."
"Ooo. I'm jealous," Kagome said with a whine.
"I knew you would be," he teased. "I was bombarded with questions about me attempting a double back flip."
"You're not are you?" Kagome asked pulling away from him suddenly.
"No," He assured her as he pulled her back into his arms. "I met a few fan girls that pledged their undying love for me."
Kagome giggled.
"Any marriage proposals?"
"One or two," he answered with a frown.
"I think it's cute," Kagome said as she snuggled closer to him.
"You say that now, but I'd be interested to see how you would react if you were there when it was happening."
"It's all part of being a super star," she teased.
"Hn," Wwas his only reply as he lifted her chin so that he could kiss her again.
As the kiss became more passionate, his hand slipped down her side to rest at her hip. When he pressed his hand to her hip to move her closer she hissed in pain. Of course he had managed to find her injury sooner than she had anticipated. He pulled away with a look of concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"It's nothing. Just a bruise," she said quickly.
"How did you end up with a bruise?" he asked as he motioned for her to turn.
She turned around and he hooked a clawed finger in the waist band of the boxers she wore, pulling them down slightly so that he could inspect her latest injury.
"We went riding yesterday and I went down," It wasn't a total lie.
They had gone riding the day before and she had gone down, just not that day.
"Where did you go riding and who's we?" He asked as he began to search her body for any other wounds.
"We went out to Silverton and ended up staying the night out there. It was Koga, Inuyasha, Bankotsu, Hiten, Naraku, and I," she tensed slightly as she told the story, but Sesshomaru assumed it was because he had found another small bruise on her back.
"It's pretty much all sand out there. How did you manage to get all bruised up?"
"You know me. If there's a possibility then..." Kagome trailed off with a tense laugh.
"Well, you should be more careful in the future," he said as he stood and turned her around before softly kissing her again.
She nodded with a smile.
"Like I said, your mom made lunch over at the guest house. Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Not really, but I better go over there anyway," he said turning from her.
"You go ahead. I'll change and be over in a minute."
He nodded and left the room. Kagome let out a sigh. She felt horrible not telling him the real reason for her bruises.
'I shouldn't have to keep this from him.' She thought as she walked over to her dresser.
XOXOXOXOXODIRTOXOXOXOXOX
"Hey Sess! When did you get back?" Inuyasha asked as soon as he spotted his brother walking through the front door.
"About twenty minutes ago," Sesshomaru answered. "I hear that you guys went out to Silverton while I was gone."
Inuyasha tensed.
'How the fuck does he know that already?! Kagome, you idiot!' Inuyasha thought before he recovered from the shock of his brother already knowing about the trip.
"Yeah," Inuyasha confirmed before taking a huge gulp of the soda he held.
"Anything of interest happen?" Sesshomaru asked, enjoying the way his younger brother was squirming.
"Uh..."
'Shit! What the hell did she tell him? About my ticket? The sleeping in the back of the truck?' Inuyasha panicked.
"Um...not really," was the answer that Inuyasha decided to go with.
"So Kagome crashing and getting all bruised up falls under the category of 'not really'?" Sesshomaru asked coolly.
'That must be what she told him to cover up her fall from this morning.' Inuyasha reasoned.
"Oh, well, there was that. It was a pretty nasty fall but she seemed to be okay."
Sesshomaru nodded.
"Hey Sesshomaru!" Bankotsu yelled from across the room. "You missed some real fun while you were gone."
Jakotsu elbowed him in the ribs non-to-gently.
"Shut up!" He hissed.
"Ow. Why? I was just going to tell him about Inuyasha's little run in with the law."
Jakotsu gave a sigh of relief while Inuyasha cringed.
'Please say dad's not in the room. Please say that dad's not in the room.' He prayed.
"You did something unintelligent again didn't you?" Sesshomaru asked with a smirk.
"No!" Inuyasha bit back. "That sheriff just had a stick up his ass and decided to take it out on me. He could have given that ticket to Koga or even Kagome, but no. He had to single me out and ruin my day."
Sesshomaru was finding it increasingly difficult to not laugh as his brother continued to rant.
"That guy was a total prick! He wouldn't even listen to me."
"I can't imagine why," Sesshomaru said sarcastically.
"Speaking of the trip, I've got some great pictures," Naraku said suddenly. "There's a few of Kagome and them jumping. Plus a few of Inuyasha receiving his ticket."
"Really?" Sesshomaru said cocking an eyebrow at this brother's misfortune. "I think I might like to see those."
"They're on my camera. Let me go get it," Naraku said as he attempted to walk calmly out of the room.
"That bastard's up to something," Koga said catching Hiten's attention.
"What?" He asked.
"He's got something planned. I don't know what it is but this isn't going to end well," Koga explained, narrowing his eyes when Naraku re-entered the room.
Naraku turned his camera on and handed it to Sesshomaru, briefly showing him how to browse through the pictures. The first picture was of Kagome pulling her bike out of the back of Koga's truck while Inuyasha was throwing the gear bags down to Koga.
"Nice you two; making Kags unload her bike," Sesshomaru 'tisked' as he looked up from the camera.
"What?! She insisted that she do it herself. Right Koga? Ban?" Inuyasha attempted to explain.
"Yeah she pitched a big 'ol fit over it," Koga confirmed.
"She refused to even let them undo the tie-downs," Bankotsu added for effect.
"Hn," Sesshomaru said as he began scrolling through the pictures once again.
The next few were of Kagome, Koga, Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Hiten jumping what looked to be a road. Then he came to the ones he was interested in.
"Oh. What do we have here?" Sesshomaru asked with a wicked grin.
The pictures showed a basic time-line of events. It started with the squad car pulling over, the officer walking up to Inuyasha, Kagome jumping the road in the background while Inuyasha talked with the officer, the two of them walking across the road, and Inuyasha holding up his ticket with Koga standing next to him holding up his hand in the shape of a 'L'.
"I bet dad would enjoy seeing these priceless moments." Sesshomaru chuckled.
"Don't you dare," Inuyasha hissed.
"So you haven't told him yet. Interesting."
"No I haven't and don't you breathe a word," Inuyasha threatened.
"What are you planning on doing when you receive the copy of the ticket in the mail sometime this week?"
"I'll deal with it then."
Sesshomaru smirked again, thinking about how entertaining this week would be being able to hold this over his brother's head. His smirk quickly faded however when he reached the photos of Kagome sleeping in between Koga and Inuyasha. He looked up from the camera to first look at Naraku with a look of shock which changed into a death glare when he looked at Inuyasha, then Koga.
"What?" Inuyasha asked timidly.
"What is up with this?!" Sesshomaru roared as he thrust the camera in Inuyasha's face.
"Oh...fuck." Inuyasha gasped. "It's not what it looks like," he said quickly.
"Really?" Sesshomaru asked mockingly, again looking at the picture. "It sure looks like what I think it is. How about you Koga?"
He then strode over to Koga and handed him the camera.
"Shit," Koga cursed softly. "It was all Inuyasha's fault."
"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled but quickly shut up when Sesshomaru glared at him.
"Do tell," Sesshomaru demanded.
"You see he forgot to bring the right amount of blankets and then we were forced to share so we wouldn't freeze."
"It's July! It couldn't have been that cold."
"Calm down Sesshomaru it was totally innocent," Koga attempted to reason with his angry cousin.
"You two are..." he stopped short when he heard the door open.
"What's all the yelling about?" Kagome asked as she closed the door behind her.
Sesshomaru said nothing and continued to share a cold glare between Koga, Inuyasha, and Kagome.
'Please tell me someone hasn't told him.' She prayed.
Sesshomaru was torn for the second time since returning home that day. Should he be angry with her also? Those two idiots were the ones that fucked up. But then again, she allowed it to happen. He ripped the camera out of Koga's hands and turned to face Kagome once more. As he got closer Kagome began to get more nervous.
"Care to explain?" Sesshomaru asked bitterly as he held the camera up to her.
Kagome sucked in a breath.
'This is not good.' She thought.
"We were camping," Kagome said simply.
Sesshomaru nodded twice.
"Oh well then by all means sleep with whoever you wish," he said coolly.
"I didn't sleep with them that way!" Kagome yelled back. "It was cold and we only had two blankets. What else were we supposed to do?"
"You could have slept in the cab," he offered.
"Yeah I thought of that and decided that I would be more comfortable in the bed of the truck. Why the hell are you freakin out?"
Sesshomaru didn't have an answer for that. Why was he reacting this way? He knew Kagome would never do anything to intentionally hurt him. He also knew that Koga and Inuyasha weren't that stupid. It just pissed him off to no end that they had been that close to her.
"I'm not the one that should be explaining themselves," he finally answered.
"Oh really?" Kagome huffed. "Well I'm done trying to explain something that I shouldn't have to. You're being a total ass!"
She turned and headed for the door. Sesshomaru reached out and grabbed onto her arm.
"Kagome-"
"Let go of me!" She cried as she dramatically pulled her arm out of his grasp, at the same time swinging with her free hand to slap him across the cheek. "Don't touch me," she said attempting to hold back the tears that were threating to fall.
There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room, and then it fell into an awkward silence. When Kagome slammed the door behind her, it snapped Inuyasha out of his daze.
"I can't believe that you just did that to her," he reprimanded in a disgusted tone. "If you should be angry with anyone with this whole stupid thing it's Naraku."
Sesshomaru stood with his hands clenched at his sides and let his brother's words sink in. He hated to admit it but...he was right. This wasn't Kagome's fault. He wouldn't have ever even known had it not been for Naraku. He'd obviously gone out of his way to get the picture, even going so far as to pull off the blanket that covered them. He turned around to face a smirking Naraku and he snapped.
"Get the fuck out of my house!" He yelled, causing the entire room to jump.
Re-posted on: November 17th, 2016