Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Summery: Kagome lives in a home that is slowly killing her. She waits for the day she will be free. Can a mysterious boy help her escape from her life and show her a better place?

One word: Fluffiness.

Chapter Twelve: Proposition

After the band played, we all went out for pizza. There we sat, all seven of us, laughing and having fun. Then, Rin stood up.

"I have to use the restroom." Rin said. Sango immediately shot up. They both looked at me puzzled.

"Aren't you coming, Kagome?" Sango asked. Then I remembered that girls travel in packs. I shook my head.

"That's okay, go on without me." I said. They shrugged at each other and then went off. The three guys all turned toward me.

"Jeez. Why do they always go at once?" Kouga asked me as if I were God and he was asking my why I created the universe. I shrugged.

"Beats me." I said. They laughed.

"So, Inuyasha tells us you can sing." Sesshomaru said. I looked at Inuyasha.

"Oh really?" I asked Inuyasha. He just smiled sheepishly.

"He says you're really good but we shouldn't take his word for it." Miroku said. "Especially after what happened last time."

"Drop it." Inuyasha said with a sternness that made me jump on a little on the inside. Kouga just laughed.

"Oh my God, look at him! Ha ha ha…ah…ah ha." He stopped when Inuyasha glared at him. Everything was quiet for a moment.

"What the guys are trying to say is that they want you to sing for them. And if you're good, which I know you are, they want you to be a member of the band." Inuyasha explained.

"Oh…" I said, looking down at my hands. Be a part of a band? Was he on drugs? I couldn't be a part of a band. I couldn't give speeches, let alone sing…but something inside me, something I never felt before, made me want to try it. Just to see if I'd like it.

"You don't have to of course." Inuyasha said with a tone that was comforting. I raised my eyes to theirs, smiling.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

The seven of us returned to the run down building. It was then decided that Miroku, Kouga, and Sesshomaru would drive Rin and Sango home. I yawned a little as Inuyasha walked around the bands instruments, just looking. I was sitting on the couch. I absently put my feet up on it, curling my knees to my chest. Inuyasha turned to glance at me and laughed a little.

"You always looked like a kicked kitten." He said, moving to the couch and sitting on the side opposite of me. "Just in the way you carry yourself. At school though, it's different. Why?"

Why? At school, it was easy to fake being a badass.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Sure you do." Inuyasha said, apparently not dropping the subject like I wanted to.

"Can we please talk about something else?" I knew the second I said it was a mistake. Not so much a mistake that I said it, but the tone I said it in. It was urgent. Slightly forceful, desperate. Inuyasha didn't say anything.

I bit my lip and rested my chin on my knees. I stared at the instruments. My eyes burned. My nose tingled.

I was about to cry.

But why?

I knew why. I was suddenly overcome with the urge to tell Inuyasha anything and everything. I wanted to tell someone so bad. I knew that. I wanted people to know what happened, to know my story. But at the same time, I didn't. At the same time I didn't want anyone to know. I wanted to keep it inside.

I felt my tongue grow thick in my mouth as I rubbed it against the roof of my mouth a little. I tensed and held my knees tighter. I kept staring at the instruments. The brass and black suddenly became blurry as tears filled my eyes.

"You will not cry." I commanded myself. Then it happened. My whole body rocked with a sob. I could feel Inuyasha's alarm.

"Kagome…" He said softly, moving over to me. Why did he care so much? No one did. No one had cared about me. I looked over at him, tears spilling down my face. I couldn't stop them. I closed my eyes.

I felt Inuyasha's hand cup my cheek gently. It was so soft, so warm. It made my skin tingle. I had never felt a hand on my cheek in such a way. It was always a blow from Naraku. Or his sick tongue. The thought only made me cry more. My cheek was saturated.

I couldn't help but lean into Inuyasha's touch. My breathing was irregular and I was feeling a little dizzy. Inuyasha's hand on my cheek wasn't helping matters much. I felt his other hand move to my face. I then felt a pull. He was pulling me to him. His arms slipped around me as he held me in a warm embrace.

I gathered some of his shirt in my fists and pulled myself closer, crying into his shirt. I sobbed out useless words that made no sense. Inuyasha held me closer and closer, squeezing the air from my lungs. I didn't care. I didn't care if I died like that, right there in his arms. All my anger and sorrow came out in a storm of tears.

Inuyasha stroked my hair, letting me cry. I don't know how long we were like that. It felt like hours. I sobbed and he was quiet, holding me, nuzzling and stroking my hair. After a while, my sobs reduced to sharp inhales. I was still gripping Inuyasha's shirt, pressing my head against his chest. The beat of his heart was soothing.

He rubbed my neck, never making any move to push me away. He only held me. Then, he laid back on the couch, pulling me over him. I didn't bother to argue. I snuggled close to his warm embrace. I didn't want to every leave it. I felt his lips against my head. I would have smiled but I was just too tired.

How long had I known this guy? Three days? And already I was lying on his chest. That voice inside was telling me how wrong it all was. Yet another voice was telling me how right it felt.

My eyes were heavy. It was Friday night. So what if I fell asleep with him there? I didn't care about Naraku anymore. I really didn't. And that felt great.

Then, I stopped thinking. I didn't want to. Soon, I was asleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

When I woke, the sun was peaking through the window onto me, warming me. At least, that's what I thought was warming me. I felt a faint beat against my chest and I looked down at Inuyasha's sleeping form. It all came back to me. Crying in his arms and then falling asleep. His arms were still around me.

I debated on whether or not to wake him up. I decided not to, laying my head back against his chest and nuzzling it with my cheek. He was so warm and soft, yet he felt strong and steady. I didn't want to move from his embrace.

Then, I felt him shift and breathe deeply. I looked up at him for a second, then pretend to sleep. I felt him pause and I knew he was looking down at me. I felt his nose and lips brush my hair.

"Kagome." He murmured softly into my hair. "Are you awake?"

I was still holding his shirt as I answered. "Yes."

He moved a little, trying to move out from under me, but I wouldn't allow it. He chuckled and just laid there, stroking my arm. I listened to his breathing, his chest moving up and down slowly. Before I knew it, I fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke again, Inuyasha was asleep. I looked down at his watch. It was ten in the morning. I went back to sleep. I drifted in and out of sleep all day. Around six, I woke up fully refreshed. Inuyasha was still asleep. I rested my chin on his chest and watched him sleep. He looked so beautiful, so peaceful.

After an hour or so, his eyes lifted and caught mine. We looked at each other for a long time. I was lost in his eyes. It was mesmerizing. Then, I did something that I never thought I had the courage to do.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and moved up more, tilting my head to the side a little and kissed him softly. His lips were so warm, so inviting. He didn't reject as I thought he would. Instead, he brought his fingers under my chin, gently pulling me closer, kissing me back. I was lost in his taste, drowning in his scent. He smelled lovely. He tasted so sweet.

The kiss was intoxicating, dulling my senses, making me tingle. Inuyasha didn't make any advancement. I deepened the kiss; he kissed back just as deeply. I knew what he was doing. He wasn't taking it any further then I wanted to go.

I pulled away a little, my lips hovering over his. I was starting to want more and more of him with each passing second my lips held contact with his. I brought my hand up and ran my fingers down his cheek. I was so happy, I felt like I could cry again.

Inuyasha leaned foreword, his eyes closed, then began nuzzling my nose with his own softly. I closed my eyes too, enjoying his touch. He whispered my name and I melted against him, putting my face in his neck. I let out a soft whimper and he held me closer. We stayed like that for a few moments.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said softly.

"Yeah?" I whispered against his neck.

"I…" He paused. "I really like you. A lot."

I could feel his heart start to race and placed my hand over it, smiling into his neck and kissing it gently. He was so cute.

"I really like you too, Inuyasha." I said. Inuyasha breathed deeply, tightening his arms around me.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said again. I closed my eyes.

"Hm?" I replied softly.

"I don't know why you were crying last night but I want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything that's bothering you. You can trust me." Inuyasha said. I smiled and snuggled closer.

"Okay." I said. Inuyasha stroked my hair gently and I was half tempted to fall asleep again if it wasn't for the fact that the band had chose that time to walk in.

"Are you guys still sleeping?" Kouga asked, taking off his sweatshirt and moving toward the instruments. I didn't see Rin or Sango. I sat up and stretched, Inuyasha did the same.

"How did you know we were sleeping?" Inuyasha asked.

"We came by here three times but you were sleeping. So we decided not to disturb you." Miroku said with a smile. I caught a whiff of my breath and made a face. I got out gum for Inuyasha and myself.

"I took the liberty to call father and let him know where you were." Sesshomaru said in monotone.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said with a tone that didn't really sound thankful. It sounded indifferent. I sat on the edge of the couch, pulling off my sweatshirt that I was still wearing. My shirt under it was form fitting with small straps on my shoulder. I noticed the eyes on me. I laughed a little.

"Eyes back in your head." I said with a laugh. Inuyasha moved behind me and sat, his legs on both sides of me. His arms snaked around me, holding me again. His arms covered my breasts, blocking them from view from everyone else. I was taken aback by this.

"Yes, eyes back in your head." Inuyasha said only he wasn't laughing. It sounded, if I was not mistaken, like a warning. Inuyasha rested his chin on my bare shoulder. I could tell he was eyeing everyone else. I was flattered.

"Why so protective?" I whispered half jokingly.

"Kouga has his eye on you. I want it made perfectly clear he isn't to touch you. He can be rather violent when he doesn't get what he wants." Inuyasha whispered back, nuzzling my ear with his nose. I nodded.

"Makes senses. Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"Are we like, you know, 'going out' now?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Do you want to be 'going out'?" Inuyasha said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"It would be nice." I said.

"Okay then." Inuyasha said, kissing my neck once.

"Hey Kagome!" Kouga said. I looked up at him.

"Hm?"

"Have you thought about our offer?"

R&R

DBDOC