Be Mine!

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//Disclaimer

In an alternate

Universe

I'd be Rumiko Takahashi

And she'd be me…trying

To be her.//

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A/N:

I apologize for being M.I.A. for 3

Months! Don't worry I was found

With minimal injury. Nothing a few

Bandages and some kisses can't fix!

10: Stab My Heart Out

With A Spoon

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Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme

Out of the doubt that fills my mind

I somehow find

You and I collide

-"Collide"

Howie Day

&&&

Uncertainty

His eyes were telling. They've never been good at concealing lies. But staring at truth dead in the eye was frightening. Kagome gazed blankly at the strong hands still gripping at her shoulder. If this were a dream, it would be the perfect moment to wake up, go back to reality, and remember that guys like Inuyasha never fall in love with girls like her.

She closed her eyes and took her dear time to open each lid. But the vision was always the same. Inuyasha looking down at her with those big black eyes. She made instant contact with his flawless face and her train of thought was disturbed. Inuyasha chuckled and his lips parted into a soft smile.

What was happening? Inuyasha never had this effect on her before. Okay, she admits that sometimes he made her a little weak in the knees. But she wasn't in love with him. She was in love with Hojo! And she wasn't going to let his pretty face get in the way with what she wanted.

Kagome pushed herself away, at last feeling a momentary sense of relief. However, the anxiety of the situation had not lifted. Once separated from Inuyasha, she was a fish out of water. The crowd gathered around her like flies and for a moment she wished she still had Inuyasha beside her for mental comfort. It was Kikyo's voice that shook her from her stupor.

"Tell me you are joking Inuyasha!" Kikyo's disposition was unstable. A hint of real life human emotion escaped her stone cold exterior.

Inuyasha was silent. Kagome wanted to read his mind, find the fault in his statement, and set him right. She did not know Inuyasha could be so cruel as to use her as a scapegoat for his own emotional confusion.

"I'm sorry, Kikyo. But…"

"Stop it Inuyasha…" Kagome's voice was but a whisper but it still commanded attention. "Don't do this."

Kagome took a quick glance at Inuyasha, hoping to see a hint of misconception. But his face was serious.

"I'm telling the truth. And if you'll let me, I'll prove it to you."

"Inuyasha, you're just confused. You're obviously delirious."

Kagome was being tossed around in the middle like a monkey. On one side was Inuyasha professing his love for her. On the other side was Kikyo; inches away from mauling her with her perfectly manicured nails.

"Inuyasha just take it back and let me go." Kagome was practically begging him.

"I can't." He leaned forward. Kagome watched his face hover over hers and a quick flashback filled her mind. It was of Inuyasha carrying her in the middle of the night. When and if it had really happened she did not know.

"I can't let it go, Kagome. I know…you might never love me back. But I had to tell you how I feel."

Kagome looked over at Kikyo, who had reached boiling point. The situation, Kagome had concluded, was going out of hand. She stepped back and turned to the only visible exit. She pushed through the crowd, found Sango, and charged for the door.

"Kagome, you can't just leave!" Sango yelled.

"Oh yeah I can! Watch me!" Kagome pushed the door open. When there was nowhere to hide, you could always run!

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted after her. He lunged forward to follow her.

Kikyo held him forcibly by the arm, stopping his escape. "Inuyasha, going after her would be a mistake."

"Kikyo, let go."

"Go after her and I'll have to tell your parents."

Inuyasha laughed. "Like that'll stop me."

"It will when they find out you are thinking of ending the engagement."

Suspicion

Kohaku hadn't spoken to Rin in nearly thirty minutes. There were moments when he was close to saying something—anything! But after Kanna left them, an eerie cloud of silence loomed over their table. Kohaku couldn't bring himself to look at her, let alone talk about trivial things like what he did that day, when she had just met his "other woman." Technically, his relationship with Kana was purely plutonic. They were business associates. But because he was beginning to feel something (something he couldn't quite explain in words) for Kanna, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Thankfully, a ruckus was taking shape on the other side of the room. An interesting enough ruckus for even him to notice. He caught a glimpse of pure black hair and instantly recognized the school's living legend, Shinozaki, Inuyasha. And directly beside him was his sister's partner in crime, Kagome. Interesting combination. Kohaku watched them bicker for a few minutes. He wasn't sure what they were saying but it was a welcome distraction to the uncomfortable silence between himself and Rin.

"What's happening?" Rin wasn't so much interested as she was happy to finally find something to talk about.

"A lover's quarrel, I suppose." The discomfort was filtering in again. Frankly, he didn't want to talk about love or relationships at this moment with anyone, especially not Rin.

"Do you know them?"

Kohaku had temporarily blocked out Rin's voice. He rose from his seat, intending to take a closer look at the heated action in the room and a breather from Rin.

"Where are you going?" Rin asked, watching him disappointedly. She wasn't dumb. She knew he was just avoiding her. And she was pretty sure that girl Kanna had something to do with it.

"I just want to make sure everything is okay. I see my sister." So, he wasn't particularly concerned about why Inuyasha was wasting his time on someone so dense as Kagome. Or that his sister might be involved in this twisted scandal. Fortunately his phone had rung giving him a better excuse to leave the table. He stared at his phone and wasn't sure what to feel when he saw Miroku's name flash across the LCD screen. Still, talking to Miroku was better than confronting Rin again.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Three Moons."

"I thought you were supposed to spend some time with Sango?" Miroku's voice was nothing short of annoyed.

"I am here with my sister." Technically, he wasn't lying. He could plainly see her across the room.

"Don't lie to me, boy."

"I'm not. She's right beside Inuy--"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku's voice rose an octave.

"Are you okay?" Kohaku distanced the phone from his ear to save his ears from possibly going deaf.

"What she is doing with Inuyasha?!"

Kohaku reluctantly placed the phone to his ear. "No, she's not with--" But before he could explain, Miroku had hung up. Kohaku put his phone away and looked around. He wasn't sure but he had a sinking feeling that maybe he had said something, he shouldn't have.

Rin was pretty much use to be being stood up by Kohaku. At first, he had seemed so vulnerable. A couple months ago, he would have done anything to please her. Now-a-days, he seemed so disinterested in anything that involved her. He seldom visited her. Never called her. And now he'd rather check out the stupid fight on the other side of the café than sit there and talk to her.

She was sure this was all her fault. If she had been honest with him from the start, he would never have felt the need to distance himself from her. This kind if relationship was all too new to her. She'd never been exclusive with anyone before. And to be honest, this was her longest relationship to date. If she could call it a relationship anymore. Wasn't he a little happy she was trying?

"Cheer up, buttercup."

The voice woke her from her trance. She turned to the lean handsome figure sitting opposite of her. His long silver hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Get away! I don't want Kohaku thinking I'm cheating on him again."

Sesshoumaru grinned. "So you guys are still together?"

"Yes and we are very happy." Rin almost convinced herself there for a moment too.

"And lying used to be one of your strong suites. Now, it just makes you look a little pathetic."

Rin made a face and sipped at her coke. She was a little happy to be talking to another human being. And even though Sesshoumaru might have ruined her chances with a decent relationship with Kohaku, the guy was still irresistible. But no! She wasn't going that path anymore.

"Where's lover boy?" Sesshoumaru had a permanent grin on his perfectly sculpted face.

"He's here and he'll be mad if he sees you. So scat! I'm a one-man woman now." Rin felt very pleased with herself.

"But is he a one-woman man?" Sesshoumaru taunted her.

Rin gaped at him. She could feel all her greatest fears coming true. If this was karma, then it was a bitch.

"What do you mean?" Sesshoumaru's grin did not falter.

Sesshoumaru leaned across the table and touched her hand. His warmth was welcoming. "Nothing, babe. I was just joking. You know me, always a kidder." But that was just the opposite. Sesshoumaru was never one for jokes.

"If you know something…"

Sesshoumaru put his hands in the air. "I know as much as you do." He looked at her directly in the eye before sliding off his seat and turning to leave.

Rin watched him waltz out of the café. She bit her lip and looked around for Kohaku but could not find him.

Testing Desire, Part 1

Kagome sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, going over the afternoon's events in her mind. Rewinding it, pausing it, playing it, and finally rewinding it again. She buried her face into her hands and sighed. Sango sat across from her with a plate of cookies.

"Here have some, it'll make the confusion feel less confusing."

"I'm going to hurl."

"You just need some cookies."

Kagome gave in and reached for a cookie. Sango had made it that afternoon. The chocolate chip melted in her mouth and she felt a touch of satisfaction from the rush of richness.

"So Inuyasha likes you, it isn't a big deal." And a surprise…Sango thought. If Sango had paid more attention, she would have seen the signs of unrequited love sooner. After all these years of playful banter, Kagome had to realize the guy was paying far too much attention to her to pass it off as idle discontent.

Kagome's eyes widened. "It is a big deal! And it's impossible!" Kagome knew that this was just another Inuyasha ploy to make her feel stupid. The very idea that he might like her, even as a friend, was ridiculous. He hated her! And she hated him…right?

Kagome grabbed a pillow off her bed and slammed her face into the soft center. "I'm going to pretend this never happened."

Sango chuckled. "Good luck with that."

"Anyways, I don't care if he likes me or not because I like Hojo. I have to stay focused."

Sango rolled her eyes and took another bite of chocolate chip cookie. "Oh, you still like him?"

"What do you mean? I love Hojo. Hojo and I are meant to be, remember?" Kagome sat straight and look her friend in the eye. For some reason, she felt like she was trying really hard to convince herself about her feelings for Hojo.

"Whatever."

Kagome slumped down. "Maybe he's going crazy because he hasn't spoken to Miroku for awhile."

Sango suddenly grew interested at the sound of Miroku's name. "What do you mean he and Miroku aren't speaking to each other?"

Kagome looked at her friend curiously. "They had some kind of fight. I don't know. It had something to do with a red baseball cap. He hasn't really mentioned why they aren't speaking to each other…why do you care?"

Sango had a guess as to why they might not be speaking to each other. But it seemed so impossible to think that Miroku might be upset over the fact she had said she liked Inuyasha. "Nothing. I'm not interested."

Kagome chuckled. "Anyways, like I said I'm going to pretend this never happened." Kagome watched Sango eat her cookie unconvinced. Kagome turned her face and rested her head on the side of her bed. She had tried to play it cool, but the truth was, she was still feeling butterflies in her stomach from what had happened that afternoon. And it wasn't like she was going to easily forget that look on Kikyo's face.

To be honest, Kagome was a little annoyed. Inuyasha was desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures. Why he had to drag poor innocent her into his drama, she had no idea. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. That was right! She was a victim! And he wasn't going to let him get away with it! Kagome stood up and pumped a strong fist into the air.

Or, did he actually like her? Even as ridiculous and far-fetched as it seemed, did he have feelings for her? Kagome reclaimed her place on the floor.

Sango bit her lip nervously. "I heard of this. The first stage of mania."

"Now I have to go to school with him and pretend he doesn't make me nervous."

"You're still going to go to Ijumari?" Sango set the platter of cookies on the bedside table and sat next to Kagome.

Kagome stared at her blankly. "Why wouldn't I? Just because Inuyasha went crazy, I am not going to let him make me forget why I went through all this trouble in the first place. I mean it's not easy being a boy. You can't pee unless everyone is watching you. You have to talk about boobs all the time. And then there's Kouga…"

"Kouga? He's still bothering you?"

Kagome shifted her eyes away from Sango. She wasn't really quite sure how to explain Kouga. Kagome decided not to go further with the Kouga situation. "What's going on with you and Miroku?"

It was Sango's turn to shift eyes. She reached for the cookies and threw a couple in her mouth. With the cookies in her mouth, she no longer made sense. "El wuh ow ehe ihem."

"You bitch. You did that on purpose."

That Night- a couple hours later

The atmosphere was as still as death. The silence only exacerbated the tension. Cool fresh air brushed against Kagome's delicate face. She leaned against the gate in anticipation, not quite sure why she was there, and waiting for nothing in particular. The gate was cool against her sweating back. She scanned the house again, watching pure black figures glide across the windows.

"I can't believe you talked me into this!" Sango's voice was harsh and perturbed. She crossed her arms in defeat and pressed her body against the iron gates. Annoyance pained her face.

"Keep it down. Someone might hear you."

"Like the neighborhood watch?"

Kagome turned her head towards Inuyasha's house. This felt all too familiar. She still wasn't sure why she had followed him that night or why she had unconsciously walked to his house in the first place. It was a natural impulse she chose never to recall again. Tonight was no different. She did not have a logical reason for staking out his house. But she believed that if she just stood here long enough, she might find some evidence that proved he was lying.

"Kagome, I promise. If you admit yourself into an institution now, I'll still be your friend."

"I know I can prove to you that he was just using me to get back at Kikyo."

"Yeah I guess it is a little weird why he would choose you over a bombshell like Kikyo. Hey you know what?"

Kagome leered through parallel bars and stared straight into Inuyasha's bedroom. It was pitch black and she strained her eyes trying to find an outline of his body. "What?"

"You two look a little alike. I mean, she looks more mature and sophisticated and…"

"Yeah I get it."

"Well, you two do look a like."

Was that why he said that? Because she reminded him of Kikyo?

"I think we should make ourselves less conspicuous."

"Why?"

"Because there's a car coming and slowing down right next to Inuyasha's house."

Kagome turned to headlights blinding her. Sango grabbed her arm before she had time to react. They nestled themselves into a niche of the ten foot tall stone gates. They watched the gates open to allow the visitors access. The American car rolled up the stone pathway and circled to the front of the mansion, directly in front of the entrance. Kagome leaned forward and waited for someone to exit. The doors to the mansion opened and beautiful petite woman waltzed down the steps. Her hair was the same color midnight black as Inuyasha. Kagome guessed she was his mother. But Inuyasha was nowhere in sight.

"Looks like someone important," Kagome whispered.

"Yeah, I guess. It's Kikyo."

Kagome stared at the delicate figure emerging from the black car. Flawless porcelain face. Every hair in place. It was Kikyo. And suddenly a very strong emotion was building up inside Kagome. She'd be lying if maybe this sensation she was feeling were not jealous. But it was just a little. So little in fact that in an instant it was gone. And it was replaced by anger.

"See, I told you Sango! He's a liar! If he loves me, why is she here?" Kagome saw red.

"Calm down, you look like you're going to pop a blood vessel."

"I'm fine! I just wanted to show you proof and there it is."

"This doesn't show anything. It shows that she's so pathetic, she's going to beg for him back." Sango always had an answer for everything. Most of the time she was very wrong but at least there was always a reason.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Kagome wasn't sure but she was pretty sure she might have had a mild heart attack. Even the pain of Sango's nails digging into her skin and possibly drawing blood was better than turning around and finding the last person on Earth she wanted to see staring down at her.

"Kagome?" The voice was puzzled. And Kagome's heart attack was worsening.

She looked up and faced him. She thought about possibly staying very still, hoping he might think she was just a very bad statue but he was one of the smartest boys in his whole school. She was sure that he wasn't going to be easily convinced.

"Hi…Inuyasha…I didn't know you lived here."

"Yeah you do. I brought you here once. You were drunk."

"You were drunk!" Sango screamed and turned to Kagome.

Kagome elbowed Sango in the rib to silence her.

"I…well…it was all a blur. And it was late at night. I couldn't remember what your house looked like."

"But you left in the morning."

"And you slept over?" She nudged her friend as a way of slyly telling her "way to go!"

This was going nowhere fast. She was basically a drunken slut and Sango loved it. "That doesn't matter. We were going out for a walk and I dropped something. And I found it so we are going to be on our way now." Kagome stood so fast, she got whiplash. She pulled Sango up and headed towards home.

"Kagome, you live this way."

Kagome looked around and realized she was indeed heading in the wrong direction. "Yeah, I know. I thought we were going to get something to drink?"

"Drink?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Something non-alcoholic!" Kagome blurted out. Inuyasha smiled. She hated when he did that.

"Oh, right. Non-alcoholic drinks." Sango watched over to Kagome, still smiling.

"Can I go with you guys?"

Kagome and Sango stopped dead in their tracks. Kagome didn't know why these things happened to her. She thought she was going have a nice peaceful night. Stakeout Inuyasha's house for a while and go home. It seemed so simple.

Kagome turned to face him. He was staring at his house and the black car sitting in front of it. "Why?" Don't you have to see your girlfriend, you liar!

"Sure you can." Sango turned to Kagome and gave a smile that only best friends are allowed to do because if it were anyone else, Kagome would have the right to punch her.

Inuyasha walked over to the girls and stood beside Kagome. Kagome was never a shy person but at this instance, she felt so timid. Kagome was pretty sure he was going to try and grope her because that was what guys like Inuyasha did. Kagome watched him from the corner of her eye and realized he looked like he had been in a fight. He looked down at her and headed down the block to the main street.

Out of fear for her life, Sango followed after him. She was sure that Inuyasha could protect her lest Kagome did a flying kick aimed at her head.

Kagome followed suit, stuck in the middle again, but this time liking it a little.

Without Reason

Miroku threw his cell phone onto his bed and made a sound that only rage and jealous could have produced. If there was a possibly he could win a fight against Inuyasha and not be seriously injured, he'd take him on. After all, it was in the name of love.

Miroku headed down the stairs and out his door. He was going to confront him once and for all. He lived just blocks from the school and Three Moons so he sprinted down the street until he eyeballed a cluster of teenagers. A couple people waved at him as he passed by but he did not stop to chat, intending not to be distracted, not even by the eager girls with abnormally short mini skirts.

After entering, he noticed that there was an unusually large crowd gathered around the entrance. And fresh gossip permeated the air. He cut through the crowd, taking in the news of the action that had just taken place. He stopped cold when he heard the words "Inuyasha" and "declaring his love." Those two words put into a sentence made him a little nervous and very mad.

He spotted Kohaku hiding behind a post, staring at his cell phone. Miroku didn't waste any time to canoe his way through the sea of people and confront him. After finally getting Kohaku's attention, he overheard a familiar voice midway in heated argument. He swiveled his immediate attention to Inuyasha and shook his head. It was so typical of him fighting with Kikyo even after had just proclaimed his love to his woman. He marched right up to him and sucker punched across the face. Forget reason.

Blindsided, Inuyasha toppled over and stared up at his best friend, wearing his finest smug face. Kikyo gasped and looked down at Inuyasha, who clearly wasn't hurt, just oddly surprised. He'd been in many fights with Miroku through the years but never in their lives did they go so low as to punch the other without any warning. Already angry with Kikyo, Inuyasha quickly regained his balance and charged at Miroku. Miroku covered his face to protect his most valuable asset. Inuyasha punched him hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of Miroku. He retaliated by hitting Inuyasha square in the jaw.

The crowd had gathered again to watch the action. Rows of digital cameras and camera phone lined the room.

"Inuyasha! Stop it!" Kikyo yelled. But it was no use. By this time, they were both equally bloody and bruised. If Kikyo took one more step, she'd find herself with her own black eye.

Kohaku stared at the fight ensuing in front of him in dread. Intending to end what he might have started, he entered into the ring reluctantly.

"Uh Miroku?" he asked meekly. He wasn't quite sure if Miroku could actually see him anymore since he had a big fat shiner on each of his eyes.

As the rumble continued, random chairs and tables were thrown in the intent to finally exhaust the other. Even though both men were drained, they still continued. Inuyasha finally had a lead on Miroku and was currently on top of him beating him across the face with his bare hands. But Miroku gave him a good knuckle punch to his abdomen and Inuyasha was forced to keel over from the excruciating pain. Miroku crawled out from under him and gathered all the strength left in his body to stand. Inuyasha was on the floor, waiting his turn to be beaten. Miroku stared down at him and suddenly his legs gave way and he sat beside him for a moment before lying on the ground himself, parallel to Inuyasha.

Through struggled breathing Miroku whispered, "That's what you get for getting on my girl."

Inuyasha turned to Miroku and looked at him puzzled. "Your girl? When did you ever like her?"

Kohaku shook his head. Great, just when he thought they had give up, they were going to go at it again. And then when Miroku was done with Inuyasha, he was going to him as a human punching bag.

"Like you didn't know!" Miroku protested. "You knew I had feelings for her. I think I made that pretty obvious."

"You never told me you liked her. I thought you liked her friend!"

It was Miroku's turn to be confounded. "Kagome?"

"What? No! Sango!"

Miroku shifted his eyes away from Inuyasha and everything started to make sense. "So, you're not in love with Sango?" But she was still in love with him.

"No! I love Kagome!" Miroku concluded that did indeed make more sense.

Miroku didn't have anything to say. He just began to laugh which made Inuyasha laugh. It felt good to be Inuyasha's friend again. Even if Sango loved Inuyasha, he was definitely in love with Kagome. And when Sango's heart gets broken, he'd be there to comfort her…

"Does this mean, I can keep the red baseball cap." Inuyasha looked sincere

Miroku thought about that for a moment. "I guess."

"Inuyasha!" Kikyo looked down at the both of them repulsed. She leaned towards Inuyasha and gave him beating stare. "I'm coming over tonight. You better be there if you know what's good for you." She turned her heels and headed out the door in a huff.

"Dude, she's a little scary," Miroku muttered.

Then Miroku remembered something. He stood and looked around. He spotted Kohaku still hiding behind that same post. Miroku began to walk towards him when his side began to ache.

"I think you just bruised my rib with that chair you threw."

"Well, we're even because I think you popped my kneecap after you threw me off the table."

Miroku decided to forget Kohaku…for now. He eyed Inuyasha snidely. "So, what did Kagome say when you told her you love her?"

"Well, nothing. She kind of ran away."

Miroku smiled and shook his head.

"You must be really into this girl." Inuyasha stared at his childhood friend.

Miroku limped towards Inuyasha and proceeded to use Inuyasha as a human crutch. They both wobbled out of the café and headed towards school. Hopefully, the nurse was still there.

Past Is Past?

Kikyo slammed the door to the Three Moons shut, nearly breaking glass in the process. She had never been so humiliated in her entire life! If she weren't a lady, she would have taken that bitch Kagome by her cow ears and beaten her to a pulp. She had suspected he had feelings for her. The guy was practically a moron when they were in the same room together. But confirmation was a bitch. It was only hopeful thinking that Inuyasha would still be in love with her. After all, she was every man's dream girl. She was rich, beautiful, and brilliant. Most men would have taken her back in an instant, no matter how many times she screwed them over. Inuyasha used to be one of those people.

Her relationship with Inuyasha had been off and on since they were toddlers. She was mostly to blame for their rocky relationship. She never really had a good grasp on that monogamy bit. She couldn't truly remember when she had been completely faithful to him. But no matter how many times she wronged him, he always let her back into her life. She had no idea he could possibly fall in love with someone else.

"Hey cupcake."

Kikyo rolled her eyes and proceeded to walk, ignoring the unnaturally handsome man leaning against the wall of the café to her left. He had his hands casually stuffed down his pockets. He never seemed more tempting.

"Go away, I'm busy."

"I'm really tired of beautiful girls telling me to go away. What ever happened to 'Hi, Sesshoumaru, let's get it on when my boyfriend's not looking."

Kikyo turned around and silenced him with her eyes. "Shut-up! Someone will hear you."

Sesshoumaru smiled, liking her nervousness. "What's the big deal? I saw the rumble in there. You guys are as good as done."

"We aren't done until I say so. It isn't that simple. We're engaged. It's going to take more than that tramp to break us up."

Sesshoumaru sighed and continued down the street. He lifted his hand to say goodbye. "Call me when you get a clue."

Kikyo rolled her eyes and went the opposite direction. She flipped open her cell phone and scanned the numbers, landing on just the one to unravel the beginnings of her scheme.

"It's me. Want to make some extra money?"

Testing Desire, Part 2

Inuyasha didn't want to talk about why he looked like he had just been run over a train. And Kagome didn't want to ask. So, they sat staring at each other for a couple minutes without saying a word. Kagome was finding it a challenge not to turn red from the sight of him and Inuyasha was trying hard to make it seem like looking at her didn't give him butterflies in his sore stomach.

Kagome drifted her eyes towards the bathroom. Sango had been in there for a long time. But Kagome knew better. She was pretty sure Sango had snuck out the backdoor and was half way to Alaska. She was the one who welcomed him on this little trip and then she decided to ditch them.

"Do you think she fell into the toilet?" Inuyasha asked, following Kagome's eyes towards the bathroom.

"No, I think she left."

"Why would she do that?" Kagome wasn't sure but was Inuyasha nervous?

Kagome stood. "Well, it's getting late. So, I think I'm going to head home."

"Let me walk you." Inuyasha followed her out the door.

"No thanks. I can walk alone." Kagome increased her speed and strolled past him. She stuffed her hands into her coat pocket and watched her breath take shape from the cold night air. She actually never walked this way by herself before. They usually just hung out at the Three Moons. But tonight Inuyasha had asked not to go there. She didn't bother to question him about. The answer to her inquiry was clearly written across his bruised and bandaged face.

In the dead of the night, everything looked more menacing. Kagome hated to admit when she was scared but she couldn't help but feel frightened. Then she heard the distant sound of footsteps. She stopped dead and the footsteps stopped as well. Kagome feared to look behind her and find a one-eyed beast after her. Kagome shook her head, convinced she was just hearing things. But the instant she continued to walk, the footsteps resounded again.

Hoping it wasn't the one-eyed beast; she grabbed the keys in her pocket and lunged for whatever it was that followed her.

"Ow! You poked me in the eye!"

Kagome looked down at Inuyasha, whom she tackled and then stabbed with her keys. "Inuyasha!" She took the liberty to slug him across the face just for scaring her.

"What was that for?!" he screamed, one hand over his sore eye and the other cupping his jaw.

Kagome did feel a little bad. After all, he had already been beaten up once that day. But just a little bad.

"Serves you right for following me!" Kagome crossed her arms and then realized she was actually still on top of him. She blushed and quickly got off him. She was thankful it was pitch black outside or else he would have clearly seen how red she was.

"Sorry. But, I was worried."

Kagome eyed him suspiciously. Was this all part of his master plan?

"Well, you didn't have to be worried. I am perfectly fine. I can find my way home.

"The why are you going the opposite direction?"

Kagome looked around. Truthfully, she didn't know where she was. She could have continued to go towards this direction for miles without realizing she was lost. This was the second time Inuyasha had caught her looking stupid and that got her angry. Besides, she had the right to go the wrong way! She'd eventually get there…some day.

Inuyasha watched her grow restless. "Since I'm here and I know where I am going, I can walk you."

There it was again. His smug know-it-all-side. Kagome was ready to refuse again when she heard a rattle from behind. She jumped and found herself nestled in his strong arms. Kagome regained her self-awareness and looked up to meet Inuyasha's piercing black eyes. She hastily moved back, flustered again. Inuyasha turned away, equally red.

"Okay, fine, you can walk me. But only because of the one-eyed beast."

"The what?"

"Nothing." She stood next to him and then strolled down the street. As a boy, it was so easy for her to talk to him but now, as herself; she was finding it increasingly difficult to speak. At any other time, people found it a feat to shut her up. But now, beside Inuyasha, she felt nervous just breathing normally.

"Do you know someone named Tohu?"

Kagome jumped when she heard the name being said by his lips.

"Why?" Kagome could not control the shakiness in her voice.

Inuyasha looked down at her. "He said he knew you well. That you guys grew up with each other."

Kagome nodded her head. Yes, she did recall telling that little white lie.

"He seems like a good guy. He pisses me off sometimes but I like him."

Kagome turned her head and smiled. "Yeah, you know he's really smart and nice. You should be thankful you have a friend like him."

Inuyasha laughed. "I am." He watched Kagome smile. "Can I ask you something?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, okay. What?"

He stopped and held out his empty hand, palm side up. Kagome wasn't really sure what he wanted.

Inuyasha looked nervous. He placed a hand behind his head and scratched his head. "Can I hold your hand?"

End.

A/N:

So that's it! The End.

….

Haha. Just teasing. Of course not!

PLEASE REVIEW!

::Upcoming Chapters::

.Kohaku and Kanna go on another date and Kohaku is very willing to move their fake relationship to a more physical level. For the purpose of making Naraku jealous, of course.

.Kikyo hatches her brilliant plan, with the help of….

.Rin discovers Kohaku's favorite pastime????

.Kagome and the boys locker room!!! Yup, its P.E. day at Ijumari!

.Kagome + Inuyasha Love?

.Does Miroku sum up all his courage to ask Sango on a date to remember?