A/N: So, what with the issues of having a new computer, I haven't been able to update lately. Although I've tried, really I have. But the 'puter keeps needing to go in to get fixed. One more trip should do it, but I'm going to update anyway. So this chapter is dedicated to boomerboom – hope you haven't wigged out yet!
DISCLAIMER: Do I need to keep restating this?
Chapter Fourteen: Tell Me Lies
Kagome stalked down the hallway, glaring daggers at the carpet beneath her sneakered feet. Subconsciously she made her way toward the elevator bank, just wanting to get away from everyone. She didn't know why she had made such a big deal out of Inu-Yasha's comment; she knew he didn't mean it as an insult. 'It just rubbed me the wrong way. It's all the tension from this contest. I can't wait until it's over,' she told herself mentally, looking up to see the elevators nearby. Shippo stood in front of them, bouncing eagerly while his yellow swim trunks dripped on the carpeting.
"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up," he was chanting to himself as she came up behind him.
"Why in such a hurry, Shippo?" Kagome asked.
Shippo jumped at the sound of her voice, his muffled chant ending in a squeak. "Ka- Kagome," he breathed, turning to look at her with frightened eyes. "You startled me."
"Apparently," Kagome giggled. "But you look more frightened to me."
"That's because I think Fluffy is going to kill me," he shook visibly. "Can't this thing move any faster?" he said, glaring at the lit number above the elevator door. It had halted at floor six.
"And why would you think I would want to do something like that, Shippo?" an amused masculine voice came from behind them.
"Sss-sesshomaru-sama," Shippo stuttered between chattering teeth. "Imagine meeting you here," the younger boy smiled, forcing a laugh.
Kagome turned to look at the older youkai, only to notice a familiar smiling girl with her arm looped in his. Rin locked eyes with Kagome, smiling at her friend's questioning glance. She returned her attention to the male at her side as he spoke, "You are fortunate, kit, that this onna was nice enough to convince me to save your skin." Rin blushed crimson as Kagome's eyebrows disappeared beneath her bangs.
"Hai. Thank you so much, Rin-chan," Shippo said, bowing deeply as the elevator doors opened. "Finally!" he shouted, running forward.
"After you," Sesshomaru motioned to Rin, a grin turning up the corner of his mouth.
"Why thank you," she giggled in reply, grabbing Kagome's arm and pulling her into the elevator with her. Sesshomaru followed, pushing the button for their floor. The ride to their floor was filled with comfortable silence, which continued until they separated at their rooms. "See you in a little while," Rin called, wiggling her fingers at Sesshomaru.
Once the door was closed, Kagome turned to face Rin. "What was that all about?" she asked, hands on hips.
"What was what about?" Rin replied innocently, pulling clothes out of her suitcase.
"What do you mean 'what'?! You and Sesshomaru, of course!" Kagome yelled, exasperated with the young teen.
Just then the bathroom door opened, revealing Sango towel-drying her hair. She was fully dressed in a fitted pink tee and low-rise boot-cut black jeans. "Who and Sesshomaru?" she asked, the towel now resting forgotten around her shoulders.
Rin blushed furiously, busying herself with getting dressed. "It's nothing. We just had a nice little chat by the pool. Well, until Shippo did a cannonball and splashed us both. That just made Sess really angry, and he was gonna hurt him, but I told him not to," she finished, fully dressed in ripped blue jeans and an orange tank top, turning to her two friends who were staring at her with mouths agape.
"Sess?!" they yelled in unison.
Rin's blush returned with a vengeance, and she averted her eyes before murmuring, "Ano..."
Kagome cut her off, "And why then would you be walking arm and arm with 'Sess'," she made quotations with her fingers, "if nothing was going on? Hmm?"
"Wait, arm in arm? What did I miss?" Sango said, a frown creasing her brow.
"Apparently we both missed a lot," Kagome huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, what about you, Kags?" Rin retorted, desperate to turn the focus away from herself. "Where did you and Inu-Yasha go earlier? You've been missing for hours!"
"Yeah, she's got a point," Sango said, turning her frown toward her other friend.
"Ano... that's not important, I'm upset with him right now, and I REALLY don't feel like talking about it right now, so yeah," Kagome replied, waving off both of her friends as she changed into baggy khaki cargo pants and a green tube top, not wanting to wear anything to remind her of this afternoon.
"God, a girl decides to work out and misses everything," Sango mumbled to herself, plopping down on the end of the nearest bed.
"Don't tell me you've been working out all this time?" Rin replied.
"Yeah, I did. First I ran, then I went a few rounds with a punching bag," Sango rose, once again preoccupied with drying her hair.
Kagome eyed her suspiciously, pursing her lips. "A few rounds with a punching bag? So who held it for you?" she asked.
"No one special," Sango responded, her back to them.
"They don't have employees that are in the hotel gym," Rin said, catching on. "Was it another guest?"
"Yup, just some random guest," Sango's face reddened, unaware of her friends' approaching proximity.
"You really stressed 'random'; why do I think this guest wasn't so random?" Kagome puzzled, making Sango jump and turn as she realized she was cornered.
"Why are you blushing, Sango? Could it be because Miroku was your sparring partner today?" Rin's eyes sparkled as she teased the older teen.
"Perhaps," she said, attempting to push between her two friends.
"Perhaps?" Kagome cocked a questioning eyebrow, holding Sango back.
"Ok, ok! Kami-sama you two are so damn nosy!" Sango burst out. "Miroku and I spent some time together in the gym. He held the punching bag for me. Then he asked me out and I said yes. Happy?"
"Hai," Kagome nodded, smiling, and the three girls returned to getting ready in silence.
Meanwhile, next door
"Fluffy and Rin, sitting in a tree," Shippo chanted.
"Cease that childish nonsense at once," Sesshomaru replied, pulling clothes out of the closet.
"What's up, guys?" Miroku asked as he walked out of the bathroom, steam swirling behind him. He was fully dressed, clad in a purple t-shirt and baggy black jeans. "Why is Shippo dripping wet?"
"Because he finds it amusing to splash me," Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, throwing a towel at the giggling kitsune.
"Oh, he's just cranky because he was talking to Rin and I interrupted him," Shippo teased, toweling off.
"Rin?" Miroku raised an eyebrow at the older youkai, who was now clad in baggy khaki cargo pants and his signature plain white t-shirt. Sesshomaru arced one elegant eyebrow in reply. "Right," Miroku spoke, clearing his throat, "none of my business. Got it."
"Where's Inu-Yasha?" Shippo asked, pulling a black Phase II t-shirt on over his baggy blue jeans.
"Still with Kagome, I guess," Miroku shrugged.
"But Kagome's next door; we all came up the elevator together!" Shippo replied.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon, then," Miroku replied, sitting down on the end of a bed.
"But," Shippo started, only to be interrupted by Sesshomaru.
"Why don't you go next door and ask the onna before the kit has a conniption fit?"
"I am not having a conniption!" Shippo burst out.
Miroku sighed, standing. "Ok, ok; I'll go ask." He walked out the door and turned to knock on the next door. A few seconds later, the door opened, the sound of a hair dryer running in the background. Brown eyes stared up at him expectantly.
"Can I help you, Miroku?" Rin asked, smiling up at him.
"I, uh, was just wondering if Kagome knew where Inu-Yasha was? None of us have seen him recently, and..." he trailed off as Rin turned to look behind her. Miroku looked over the young teen to see Kagome halt momentarily in applying her make-up in a small compact mirror before resuming without even sparing a glance in his direction.
"Last I saw he was up a tree somewhere," Kagome replied, carefully applying mascara.
"Thank you. See you ladies at dinner!" Miroku called, flashing his most charming smile and waving before re-entering his own room.
"Up a tree somewhere?" Rin asked Kagome, shutting the door.
Up a tree somewhere
'I better head back, it must be nearly dinnertime by now,' Inu-Yasha thought to himself, jumping down from his perch in the tree. He re-entered the building, not noticing Yura's presence as he walked past her.
Once he was out of earshot, Yura chirped her cell phone and whispered cryptically, "The eagle has landed. I repeat, the eagle has landed."
"Copy that," Kagura chirped back, covertly peeking around the corner to see Inu-Yasha approaching the elevators. He seemed deep in thought. "The rooster is in the hen house," she chirped into her phone as Inu-Yasha stepped on the elevator.
'Damn women. She should've known I was just joking. Why do women always have to get mad over stupid little shit?' Inu-Yasha thought to himself as he rode up in the elevator, sighing. 'I'll just go to her room and apologize for whatever she thinks I did wrong. Kami-sama, I hate doing that! Why does she have to be so stubborn!' he thought, kicking the wall of the elevator as it arrived at his floor.
"Copy that," Kikyo chirped into her phone, a mischievous smile spreading across her face as she turned to the man beside her.
"I don't know about this," Kouga grimaced.
"Do you really want to see Kagome with Inu-Yasha?" Kikyo asked, hands on her hips.
"Well, no, but I don't want to have to trick her into choosing me," Kouga said, studying Kikyo's outfit. She had dressed exactly as Kagome had been earlier this afternoon for her performance, and had even curled her hair and pulled it up in a messy ponytail to resemble the other girl.
"We've discussed this already, Kouga," Kikyo glared at him. "It's not her we're tricking, it's him. He'll push her away, and she'll land in your strong arms."
"I don't know..." he trailed off as the elevator doors slid open. Kikyo took advantage of his momentary indecision and embraced him, planting her lips firmly on his. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around her, kissing her passionately in return. 'You're doing this for Kagome,' he repeated mentally to himself.
Inu-Yasha looked up as he stepped off the elevator, determined to go straight to Kagome's room and apologize for not being wrong. 'We can sort the details out later,' he smirked to himself, but halted a few paces from the elevator by what was before him. 'Kagome? Kissing Kouga?' his jaw dropped in surprise. 'It can't be her! But it has to be, look what she's wearing!' he stomped forward past the preoccupied couple, a growl unconsciously leaving his lips. He reigned in his rage long enough to slip the key card into the lock before angrily slamming the door on the scene behind him.
"That was perfect!" Kikyo whispered to Kouga, pulling apart. "Now I've got to hurry and get out of this idiotic outfit!" With that, she ran down the hall, Kouga dragging his feet behind her.
"Why so angry, Yash?" Miroku asked.
"None of your damn business!" he snarled, snatching the cowboy hat off his head and throwing it across the room. He looked around the room to find his brother and two friends all looking at him, one with amusement, one with concern, and one with fear.
"What did the onna do, brother, break your heart?" Sesshomaru spoke, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"I just saw her kissing Kouga," he growled.
"Nani? Where?" Miroku asked, eyes wide.
Inu-Yasha's eyes snapped to his friend, a snarl on his lips, "Just outside, couldn't miss them walking from the elevators."
"But I just saw Kagome in her room not a minute ago..." Miroku spoke, confused.
"Well, she's not there now," Inu-Yasha whipped his shirt off, sending it to join the lost hat.
"If you're done throwing your little tantrum," Sesshomaru spoke, his eyes laughing at his younger brother's behavior, "we should be heading down to dinner."
"Whatever," Inu-Yasha sighed, pulling on a white tank top and tying his black bandanna around his head. The four boys exited the room, meeting no one on their trip downstairs. They sat at their usual table in silence as Inu-Yasha glared at his plate, pushing food around it with his fork.
"Do you plan on eating, or are you just going to play with your food?" Sesshomaru questioned him, the only one daring enough to poke the bear.
"Shut up or you'll end up wearing it," Inu-Yasha muttered back. Miroku and Shippo looked from one brother to the other, caught in the middle of a verbal tennis match.
"I highly doubt that, little brother," Sesshomaru smirked.
"Konnichi wa, minna!" Rin bounced up to the table, sitting down nearest Sesshomaru.
"Ah, greetings, my lovely ladies! We greatly missed your company until now, and feared we brutish men would have to entertain ourselves!" Miroku smiled charmingly, attempting to dispel the tension that hung over the table.
"You are such a baka," Sango chuckled, shaking her head at Miroku's antics as she sat across from him.
"Inu-Yasha," Kagome began hesitantly, gripping the back of the chair in front of her, not yet having sat down.
"I'm suddenly not very hungry," the hanyou spat, throwing down his fork. He stood up so forcefully his chair tipped over behind him, and stalked off after shooting a glare at the girl across the table. She stood there for a minute, blinking owlishly where he had just sat, before chasing after him.
"Wow. What crawled up his ass and died?" Sango asked, taking a forkful of rice.
"Apparently he's convinced he saw Kagome kissing Kouga outside our rooms a short while ago," Miroku stated, causing Rin and Sango to look at him in shock. "Which I found rather odd, since he claimed this just after I had returned to our room; just after having seen her in yours."
"Kagome has been with us for the past hour," Sango stated, Rin nodding beside her.
"Then who did Inu-Yasha see kissing Kouga?" Shippo piped up.
"Inu-Yasha, matte! I need to talk to you!" Kagome called, running to catch him up outside. The hanyou stopped, his back still to her. "Wow, you walk fast," she panted, trying to catch her breath. "I wanted to apologize for losing my temper before. I know you didn't really mean to offend me. Sometimes I just don't know what gets into me," she said, smiling at his back.
Inu-Yasha whipped around, studying her with golden eyes. His sunglasses sat forgotten in his pocket. "So you ran to someone else's arms for comfort?" he bit out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"I saw you," he said lowly, "with Kouga."
"Ok, now you've really confused me. When was I with Kouga?" she asked, her eyes matching her words.
"I saw you kissing him! Stop denying it!" he said, his eyes searching hers for the truth.
"Me kiss Kouga?!" Kagome yelped, her eyebrows arced in shock. "I've never kissed Kouga!"
"So you're a liar, too, huh?" he snarled. "I don't want to talk to you again. Just leave me alone," he said, walking past her into the building.
"But, Inu-Yasha, I'm not lying!" she called out after him. He kept walking like he couldn't hear her, leaving her standing alone, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm not lying," she whimpered softly to herself.
A/N: sniffles I hated writing that. Took me forever to get that bit of conflict out. But now we get to move on to the resolution! I will start writing the next chapter right away, so that I can have it out A.S.A.P. And I think I will be doing a sequel, but let me know if you think yes or no. Ja ne, minna! Until next time!