Recap:
After what seemed like a week, but in reality was only an hour and a half, Natsumi left to go home. Once she got home she just went straight up stairs, she didn't really talk to her mother or eat a whole lot at dinner. Natsumi was just so shocked by what happened only a few hours ago. The rest of the night she just sat on her window bench. She sat in a way where she could see Inuyasha's bedroom window, but she was mainly hidden. She sat there staring out in the night with a hand up to her lips; they were still tingling from earlier. She remembered that tingle that went down her spine as their lips met. Something about him made her melt when she felt the connection.

"Whoa…" Was all she could think.

Chapter 10

Natsumi walked to school with Inuyasha like always. Everything was the same minus inside Natsumi's mind. She had so many questions. Mainly "Why." Today there was no music because she accidently left her iPod at home so they just walked along in silence. Their usual coach came back finally and when he did, Inuyasha's and the team's practices became even more intense. When the trio would walk home, it would always be quiet because they were so tired. Natsumi was just glad that she could stop running laps now. Although you can say that there was a part of her that was starting to miss running the laps with the team as they were warming up.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and got Natsumi's attention.
"We have a meet today you know." Inuyasha said while looking forward as he spoke.
"Oh yeah, I heard Coach talking about it yesterday."
Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah."
"Cool!" Natsumi smiled. Inuyasha looked over at her out of the corner of his eye.
"You are going to be there right?"
Natsumi looked up at him, "duh, I promised you didn't I?" Inuyasha nodded. "Plus this is the first one of the season right?" Inuyasha nodded again. "Then I am definitely not going to miss it." Natsumi grinned. "This is going to be my first time attending one too." Inuyasha chuckled and nodded his head for the third time.
"Good."

Time went by and she was on the field. Later on Kagome and Sango were going to meet up with her. Sango didn't have practice and Kagome was super excited after hearing about the meet. Natsumi was by Inuyasha holding his water while he stretched. Only a couple of others were stretching with him. They all talked mainly about the events that they were going to be in. It turned out that Inuyasha and Matt were doing the most events. All of a sudden Natsumi heard her name being called along with Inuyasha's. They turned around and smiled when they saw Sango and Kagome in the stands. Natsumi waved at them and turned to Inuyasha handing him back his drink.
"Well, if I am not needed for anything else, I am going to go join them." Inuyasha nodded and took a drink. Natsumi turned around and headed towards where her friends were. She motioned them to come down the stairs. At first they were hesitant, "it's okay, I asked Coach and he said if it is only the two of you and if I do my team manager duties, its okay." The girls cheered and hopped down to where Natsumi was. They all talked a while and Sango noticed that the race was about to begin. They watched the guys take off, after a couple of laps they began to talk amongst themselves again. Periodically they would watch. When the final lap was announced they all turned their attention to the track. Inuyasha took first then a few seconds someone from a different school took second and third was Matt. Natsumi got up and took waters and towels to the two boys.
"Wow, you guys! That was cool!" Natsumi beamed. Inuyasha just let out a snort and Natsumi gave him a confused expression.
"Thanks, but that was the easy event." Matt said.
"Oh really? They why aren't there more competitors?" Matt continued to explain to Natsumi while it seemed as if Inuyasha went off to sulk.

After a while Inuyasha and other team members were talking to the coach so the three girls went back to talking. Kagome turned to Natsumi with a smile. "So how have you and Inuyasha doing? You guys seem to have gotten a lot closer."
Natsumi's cheeks turned pink when she remembered their first kiss, well the kiss he stole from her. "Uhm, well I am not sure. I am really confused."
"Why?"
"Well, a few weeks ago we were talking, well okay I think we were actually arguing, but I am not sure over what. He got mad and then he just kissed me. And now he acts as if nothing happened."
"WHAT?" The other two screamed. They got looks from people around them. Natsumi sighs and looks out onto the track, unintentionally looking for her neighbor.
"I am just so confused. He always makes me nervous and anxious at the same time. Yet I also feel calm and relaxed. How can I be feeling four opposite feelings and emotions all at the same time?" Natsumi slumped over, Kagome and Sango shared a knowing look.
"Have you ever thought of going for it?" Sango asked.
"What?" It was Natsumi's turn to be startled.
"Well, it just explains why he looked so jealous earlier." Sango said.
"I am still not following at all."
"Yeah, it is a very distinct expression that he gets when he is feeling a bit jealous." Kagome said.
"…" Natsumi looked at Inuyasha then back at the two. "When?"
"Right after the first race, when you started to talk more to that other guy." Sango informed.
"But why would he be jealous?"
Kagome smiled, "because he likes you and you are important to him." Natsumi choked a little on her water when Kagome said this. "Trust me! I know a thing or two about that boy."
Natsumi scoffed, "no, trust me. I really don't think so…"
Kagome just smiled and shook her head. "Then explain why he has been intensely staring at you for the past few minutes?"
Natsumi suddenly tensed up and became self-conscious. Her cheeks pink as she slowly turned her head where she can now see Inuyasha. When she saw him he crossed his arms and kept staring. She was so startled she could not look away for a few minutes. She could just feel his eyes bore themselves into her soul. Thankfully the announcer announced the next event which got his attention and he started walking back over to his starting blocks. Natsumi quickly turned to Kagome. "What the heck?" She simply smiled back at Natsumi.
"Like I told you, he either really cares about you, thinks you are really important, or he just plain flat out likes you."
"A-are you su—"
"NATSUMI!" The trip jumped when Inuyasha shouted her name. They looked at him like deer in head lights. All three with blushes on their cheeks except for Natsumi, she was just bright red.
"Watch me! Only me, I will prove to you that I am amazing." Inuyasha yelled. The other guys he was competing with were looking at him with amazement. She noticed the other guys on the team started to talk amongst themselves and look over at her. She looked back at Inuyasha, he was expecting a response but all she could do was nod her head. Only then he got down on his starting block to wait for the starting gun to go off. She was just left speechless.
"Wow, well he is a lot more vocal about things now…" Kagome said.
"I wonder if some of Miroku's personality wore off on him…" Sango cut in while Kagome finished.
"It really appears to be that way."

The meet ended with Natsumi only watching Inuyasha when he was racing. For some reason she could not shake her blush and also shake the feeling as if someone had been watching her the whole time. She came to the conclusion that it was someone in the stands, if there was someone that is. Natsumi was also getting really frustrated because she could not act normal now. She was always thinking about Inuyasha. "Kagome said that I may have a crush on him. But that is crazy, I have had crush's before and it never felt like this. Is it more than a crush then? Do I actually like him? He is the first person here that has been able to break down my wall…"
"Were here!" Inuyasha said excitedly. The whole team decided to eat out to celebrate their victory. So they ended up at some hole in the wall Italian place. Natsumi grumbled to herself for her dislike in Italian food but didn't utter a word. They sat in a big banquet room that held a long large table. The coaches were down at one end so they can discuss next meet's plans. Natsumi was going to sit by another team manager and Matt, but Inuyasha called her over to where he was sitting. "No, sit here."
"Why? Don't you want to sit with your other team mates? You can see me anytime."
"Duh, that's what I am doing. You are on the team too right? Or did you forget that all of a sudden?"
The coaches ordered all of the food. Pastas, lasagnas, Italian dish this, Italian dish that. Natsumi's head was about to explode with all of the Italian dishes. Thankfully the coach ordered an anti-pasta salad too. Natsumi was relieved when she heard the salad being ordered. Out of all Italian food, she could actually enjoy that salad the most.

There was idle chatter amongst everyone. Inuyasha talked to Natsumi and the guy across from him. Down in the middle was Matt and the other manager. Matt and she had a very small conversation due to the distance, noise and the Inuyasha factor. Once the food came the conversations dulled down to a quiet roar. The team members all ate the pasta and other dishes. Natsumi would always get more of the salad as it was passed by her.
"Is that all you are going to eat?" Inuyasha asked her, slightly annoyed.
Natsumi looked at him and nodded apologetically. "Yeah, I don't—"
"No way! Here!"
He grabs a plate full of pasta and serves Natsumi a small portion. Natsumi sighs but then gets tense when she sees him grab another plate. "Hey Inuyasha, are you really that hungry?" Asked some other team member named Blake.
"No…Well yeah, but no, this is for Natsumi. She only had salad on her plate."
"Oh! Well here! Hook her up!" The other guys chuckled and started passing down places of the other dishes.
"N-no guys, please—"
"No way, you have to have some of this awesome food!"
Natsumi grumbled.

After they finished dumping a small portion of each dish on her plate, she ever so politely finished her food. Needless to say she didn't talk the rest of the night, other than thanking the coaches for the food. Inuyasha, Matt and her walked home. Matt was asking Inuyasha questions and he was actually responding back. As they walked up to Natsumi's house, her mother was getting out of her car. They started talking about the meet and other things.
"Well did you guys eat yet? I can make you something."
"No thanks mom, we already ate."
"Oh? Where at?"
"At Luigi's! It is the best Italian place around here."
Natsumi's mothers eyes softened and looked at Natsumi. "Oh I see…"
"Yeah, oh hey see ya tomorrow Inuyasha" she let out a small quiet burp and quickly covered her mouth while holding onto her tummy. "Mom, I'm going to bed, good night."
"Oh, yeah night…" Inuyasha said hesitantly, he was wondering what was going on between the mother and daughter.
He turned to her mother and asked, "Is something wrong?" They both watched Natsumi enter the house. Her mother turned around and smiled gently at him.
"Mmm, well everything is fine, except I wonder; did she eat anything at Luigi's?"
Inuyasha grunted, "She was only eating that anta pasto salad at first, then I helped her get more food so she had more to eat." Inuyasha said with a triumphant smile while crossing his arms.
"Oh-oh dear…"
"Why? What's wrong with that?" Inuyasha asked as her mother started to go into the house. Inuyasha followed her but paused on the porch when Natsumi's mother turned around.
"Uh, well you see…Natsumi really detests Italian food. She would rather get a bunch of shots or injections before having to eat Italian food. Sometimes spaghetti is okay, and she actually enjoys the anti-pasta salad. But sometimes her hating the food so much will actually make her physically sick. It's like her mind tells her body.
Inuyasha froze; a weird sound came out of his mouth. "I—I –I'm …"
"Don't worry dear, knowing Summer she probably didn't say anything or even try to say no. It is probably one of her few faults. When she is in a group of people that she is not too close to, she cannot help but be too polite sometimes."
"Oh my…"
"I said don't worry dear, now go home and rest. You did a great job today, also thank you for always walking home with her. See you in the morning?"

All Inuyasha could do was nod. He turned away like a sad puppy. He felt horrible. He never wanted to hurt her. He even promised to protect her so she would never get hurt again. Once home all he could do was go to his window, pull up a chair and look up to her room. He wished his house's second floor was higher, but because the first floor sunk in, the house was lower. Her window was open and he could hear her shuffling around. He imagined she was changing. His mind was starting to wander and he caught himself. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Buff." He heard. He looked up and saw Chunky in the window looking down at him. He smiled and shook his head again.
"Hey Chunks."
"Buff! Woof!" She responded back.
"Chunky, what are you …" It was Natsumi, she sounded different. She came to the window to pick up Chunky. Her eyes followed the gaze of her dogs and met Inuyasha's dark eyes. For some reason he stood up. He wanted to apologize but the look in her eyes stopped him. There was a new look. She nodded her head and picked up her pup and walked out of view.
"What was that expression?" He muttered to himself. He remained like that until her bedroom light went out. Only then, he allowed himself to go to sleep.

Authors note:

Thanks for reading yet another chapter :3 I hope you all enjoyed this one as well
I had quite a bit of fun while writing it. It has also given me a lot of ideas for the next chapter

Feedback and reviews are always accepted.

-Foxfaceish