Disclaimer: I'm a crazy fangirl, and crazy fangirls don't own things like InuYasha. They just obsess over them.

A/N: Look at me, updating in a timely fashion! :D And, adding another thing to the crazy mix of them in this story.

As Day Turns to Night

Chapter 14-Strangers and Strange Feelings

He knocked on the front door with his left hand, then started inspecting his tender right one. Blood was dribbling from the cuts around his knuckles, and it was bruised and swollen. The boy sighed. He didn't know why he did these things to himself. Next time he would be more careful...probably. The door opened and he jerked his head back up, his long black hair, which was up in a high ponytail, whipping around his face like a snake.

"Hi," he said, slightly apologetically, to the girl who stood there in the frame, blinking at the light. She looked like she had just woken up, and was wearing polka-dotted blue pyjamas, not something one would usually want a total stranger to see herself in.

"Hello?" she said, confusion plainly written on her face as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm really, really sorry to bother you, but I was just in a bit of an accident," he held up his bloody right hand to illustrate, "and I was wondering if you could maybe help me. I just need some bandages or something." He smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, sure," she nodded, sounding more alert, though her voice was still rather scratchy. "Come on in. Please don't murder me, though," she added, as if that would help deter someone who really did want to kill her.

The injured boy laughed. "I promise I won't."

.~*~.

He knocked on the front door, fidgeting nervously as he waited for an answer. His broken hand hung by his side, out of its sling and splint as to not arouse suspicion in case any other members of Kagome's family were there. InuYasha wondered if she was still home sick, or if maybe him coming all the way over here had been for naught. It was kind of hot out, too, and he'd had to walk. He tugged at the collar on his red shirt, then decided to screw it and unbutton the damn thing. He wasn't at school, where his rosary would be frowned upon, and Kagome already knew. Besides, he was planning on getting out of there before the damn thing started to glow.

"InuYasha!" Kagome chirped brightly as she opened the door.

"Hey. Happy to see me?" he smirked.

"Always," she grinned and winked at him. "So," she started, leaning against the doorway, "Are you going to get that cute butt of yours in here?" InuYasha's eyes widened and he blushed, causing Kagome to burst out into laughter. "I was just teasing you! Gosh, sometimes you can be really dense."

"Aw, that's mean. You're basically saying you don't think his butt is cute," came another voice from inside the house.

"Wha-who the hell is that?" InuYasha stammered, still trying to regain his composure. It sounded like a guy's voice, and he really didn't want a guy commenting on his ass.

"Oh, that's just Kouga. Here, come on in and I'll introduce you." She waved her hand for him to follow her and he did, that weird feeling he had experienced yesterday once again growing in his stomach. Another guy in the house did not sit well with him; that had already been established. They walked into the kitchen and a boy about their age, around the same height as InuYasha, give or take an inch, stood up from the chair he had been sitting on. He had on some rather form-fitting yellow and blue clothes that looked like they were made for exercising which InuYasha really didn't approve of.

"Hey. Uchida Kouga." He introduced himself, his bright azure eyes sparkling, and offered his left hand for InuYasha to shake. His right one was bandaged and hanging at his side, and InuYasha furrowed his brow at this. What was going on here?

"Takahashi InuYasha," he replied, taking the other boy's extended hand with his left one suspiciously.

Kouga chuckled a little when he heard his name. "InuYasha, eh? Your parents certainly were unique."

"It's a family-thing," InuYasha ground out through gritted teeth. This guy was starting to piss him off already.

"Well, nice to meet you, InuYasha," Kouga said. "Is Kagome a friend of yours?"

InuYasha and Kagome both looked at each other unsurely. She shrugged at him to show that she didn't care what he said, but he was pretty sure that wasn't the truth. Besides, that possessive feeling was even stronger now, and it told him to assert himself in front of this possible threat.

"Something more than that, actually," he nearly growled.

"Ooooh, interesting," Kouga grinned. "Well, I hope you don't think I'm trying to steal your girlfriend." InuYasha almost swallowed his tongue at that. "I just had a bit of an accident earlier with my bike, and I needed some assistance."

"Hospitals are always good," InuYasha informed him bitterly.

"It wasn't that serious," he shrugged. "And Kagome's a pretty good nurse." His mischievous grin was back, except it was only directed at Kagome this time.

Don't punch anything, don't punch anything, InuYasha mentally reminded himself. He stood there clenching his fists together, though a sharp pain shooting through his right hand interrupted his concentration. He opened his mouth in a silent gasp, and Kouga looked at him strangely.

"Dude, you okay?"

"Fine," InuYasha replied, shaking his hand out slightly, which didn't really help.

"InuYasha broke his hand and it's still healing," Kagome explained.

"Oh, I see. Your right one?" InuYasha nodded. "Hah, funny. Nice coincidence." Kouga held up his own bandaged one.

"Yeah, it's great," he muttered.

"So, you go to school still, correct?" Kouga asked him.

"I do."

"Well, how come you aren't there?"

"I could ask you the same thing," InuYasha countered.

"Let's just say I have a habit of not attending too often. Same goes for you?"

"No, my injury's keeping me home for a few days."

"Ah, I see. Maybe I'll use that excuse now, too." Kouga winked at him, while InuYasha rolled his eyes.

"So, boyfriend," Kagome said playfully, "got anything special planned for today?"

"We'll talk about what you just said later," InuYasha grumbled. "And I was just thinking of making sure you stayed in bed."

"Are you serious? That's no fun," Kagome pouted.

"She's right; that isn't," Kouga agreed.

"Do you think your opinion matters?" InuYasha snapped.

"Whoa, touchy." Kouga put up his hands in defence.

Kagome glared at InuYasha. "It would be really nice if you learned that crazy concept of manners."

"Keh," he grunted.

"Well, I should probably go," Kouga said. "All this open hostility is giving me the message that I'm really not wanted here."

"That's not true," Kagome objected. "InuYasha's just being a grump. You get used to it."

InuYasha crossed his arms and brooded. She was taking this damn stranger's side over his! Plus, she called him a grump.

"No, that's okay. I have...things to do, anyway." Kouga coughed when he said 'things', making InuYasha look up and narrow his eyes at him. There was something off about him, no doubt.

"That's too bad," Kagome said sadly. "Maybe another time, then?"

"Yeah, maybe," Kouga grinned. "Care to show me to the door?"

"Of course," she said pleasantly.

"Bye, InuYasha," Kouga waved over his shoulder as they left the kitchen.

"Bye," he repeated, out of obligation more than friendliness. He leaned up against the counter, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. He had a weird feeling, weirder than the possessive one that had taken to popping up. No, this one was different. It was harder to place, but it was almost like he could feel something was going to go wrong. He just had no idea what would.

"Did you really have to be so rude?" Kagome asked furiously, stomping back into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, but that guy's trouble! I can feel it!" he defended himself, snapping his head toward Kagome. Her face softened and she let out a small sigh.

"I felt something odd, too," she admitted. "I just don't know what it means. There certainly is something..." she paused, "different about him. Something surrounding him, like in the cartoons, when a rain cloud keeps following a person around when they're sad." She frowned, contemplating the circumstances. "I'd like it if you didn't scare him away, though. I want to see if I can figure out what's up with him."

"Fine," InuYasha relented, then motioned for Kagome to come over to where he was. She did so, though not without hesitation, as she was unsure of exactly what he was doing. He looked...uneasy. "Please don't make me worry anymore than I have to, okay?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her. "It gets really annoying after a while."

"You worry about me?" she asked in puzzlement, craning her neck to look up at him since she was so close and he had almost a head on her height-wise.

"It's kind of hard not to when you get into trouble so much," he said teasingly, and then his face grew serious. "Now, about what you said earlier..."

"When I called you my boyfriend?" Kagome finished for him, a glint in her eyes. He nodded, and she continued. "Hey, you were the one who said we were 'something more than friends'. I just put two and two together."

"What if I meant we were best friends?"

"Don't you already have one of those?" she giggled.

"Yeah, but he's a pervert. I could do a lot better," InuYasha joked. Well, half-joked.

"Well, you better make up your mind soon, honey. A girl this fine doesn't stay single for long. I mean, just look at how attractive I am right now." She stepped back and ran her hands over her sweatpants and fuzzy blue sweater with a big pink cat on the front as if she were a model. InuYasha stifled a laugh.

"Oh yeah, what guy wouldn't want a piece of that?" he smirked.

"I know. I'm just irresistible." She flipped her slightly frizzy, tangled hair over her shoulder and flounced out of the kitchen, posing the question, in as loud a voice as she could muster with her still sore throat, "Are you coming?" to him.

"Where are we going?" he asked, heading after her.

"You did say you wanted me to get some rest. Well, let's go get some rest," she said in a mock-flirtatious way, though InuYasha didn't pick up on the 'mock' part, and instead gulped but sped up as well.

.~*~.

InuYasha opened his eyes groggily and yawned. All he could see was grey. He panicked for a moment; had he suddenly gone blind? Then the grey shifted, and he looked up and realized that he had been staring at the side of Kagome's pant leg. She was sitting on the bed next to where he was lying, her legs pulled up in a triangle-shape in front of her so she could use them to rest a pad of paper on. She was sketching something with a pencil and seemed deeply focused on her work. InuYasha watched her for a while until she turned to look at him and noted the look of surprise that passed across her face when she saw he was awake.

"Oh, hi, sleepyhead," she said after a moment.

"Hey," InuYasha murmured. "How long was I out for?"

"A few hours. You must have been tired. You tried to make me go to sleep but ended up passing out yourself. It was kind of funny, especially since you had been so mad at me for making you think something naughty was going to happen."

"I wasn't thinking of anything naughty," he muttered.

"Sure you weren't," Kagome agreed patronizingly.

"What're you drawing?" he inquired, sitting up. She flashed him her page, and his eyes widened in shock.

"That's me," he said, flabbergasted, pointing to the paper.

"Yep." She nodded. "You weren't waking up anytime soon, and I couldn't resist."

"Wow," InuYasha marvelled, stealing the pad from Kagome and eliciting a noise of discontent from her which he ignored. That was certainly him, right there in black and white. She had drawn his form in striking detail, catching the strands of his hair that had gone every which way as he slept and the way his forelocks fell over his shoulder and pooled on the bed, the disarray of his shirt and the skin that was revealed underneath it from his collar being open (there was more showing than he'd thought), the small rosary with its gleaming beads resting over his neck, and an amazingly peaceful expression on his face that he didn't know he could have. "You are seriously fucking good," he told her, looking up from the drawing. "And the swear word was totally necessary, because I had to convey just how good you are."

"Well thanks," she smiled, taking the paper pad back from him. "It's not quite finished, though. I need to do a lot of touch-ups. Fix the shading on the hair and about twenty million other things."

"It looks amazing the way it is," he informed her, completely genuine. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel about you drawing me without my knowledge, though."

"Hey, you were totally out," she reminded him. "Just be glad I didn't take off your clothes and draw you in the nude." InuYasha fell over onto his side. He was so glad the nosebleed-thing wasn't real. So, so glad.

"What time is it?" he asked after he lay there for a few moments listening to Kagome giggle.

"Uh...6:07," Kagome read from the alarm clock on the table beside her bed.

"What!" he bellowed, shooting upright. "Are you serious?"

"Well, what's the big deal? I'm sure your parents won't be mad, and my mom is...oh," she stopped, the significance of the time finally sinking in.

"Yeah, oh!" he almost shouted in her ear, fuming.

"I'm sorry!" she bleated. "I forgot!"

"You must be joking! You remember the stupidest little things, but not this?"

"I've only known since Friday," Kagome whimpered. "And I just got really caught up in my drawing. I'm sorry." She stared down at her paper forlornly, and InuYasha sighed, calming down slightly.

"It's not your fault," he said softly. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep." He exhaled in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "Does anyone else know I'm here? If not, I can just sneak out your window after I transform."

"Unfortunately, everyone knows. Souta came up while you were sleeping and practically ran through the whole house screaming about the boy in my room. What else are little brothers good for?" she muttered sarcastically.

"Okay, sunset is at 6:34. That gives me about twenty-five minutes, which probably won't be enough time to walk home if your family wants to talk beforehand."

"Trust me, they will," Kagome assured him.

"Do you have a hat I could borrow?"

She thought for a moment. "I have some bandanas. Will those work? Either that, or I could steal one from Souta's room."

"No, a bandana will work just fine. So you get one of those, preferably not in a girlie colour, I'll take it with, we'll go downstairs, talk to whoever and try to get out as quick as possible. Then I'll wait outside until after sunset, slap the bandana on my head, and run home." InuYasha seemed rather pleased with his plan, though Kagome, not so much.

"But you'll be in pain," she said, concerned, rifling through her drawers for a bandana.

"Yeah, that's why I'm waiting until after I've changed to head home. Don't exactly want to drop down in agony in the middle of the sidewalk," he scoffed.

"Well, you shouldn't be outside my house then, either. People could always show up; it is a shrine, you know, and I don't want you going through that sitting on cement trying to hide yourself."

"What am I going to do then, Kagome?" InuYasha threw his arms up in frustration. "I can't get into your room until I'm half-demon, and I'm not sticking around here so your family can find out." She walked back and handed him a purple bandana. He looked at it in disdain. "I said not in a girlie colour."

"Beggars can't be choosers. Anyway," she continued, "I'll let you in through the sliding door downstairs below my room. We'll just have to sneak you back up here without anyone noticing, okay?"

"Fine," he relented, "but if anyone sees me I am going to be so pissed off."

"That's not uncommon for you," Kagome winked. "So, downstairs?"

"Sure," he agreed, shoving the bandana in the back pocket of his jeans.

.~*~.

"I saw you sleeping in my sister's bed," said Souta rather loudly, intercepting the two at the foot of the stairs.

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" InuYasha scoffed.

"Are you Kagome's boyfriend?" The little boy looked up at him curiously. InuYasha stared back blankly for a moment.

"Do you think he's my boyfriend?" Kagome asked her brother, saving InuYasha and knowing full well that she was.

"I hope he is," Souta answered honestly. "I like him better than that other one."

"Well, it wouldn't take a genius to figure that out, considering that picture you drew of him." She gave him a stern glare.

"You thought it was funny too," Souta pointed out.

"That doesn't make it right."

InuYasha frowned in confusion. "What's this about?"

"Souta drew a mean picture of Hojo last night. The little brat was extremely proud of it."

"It was a good picture," he shrugged.

"Nice job, kid." InuYasha beamed, ruffling the boy's hair. Kagome gave him an odd look and he stopped suddenly, coughing and looking at his watch. "Twenty minutes."

"Right," she nodded, looking determined.

"Twenty minutes until what?" Souta inquired, hopping along behind them as they set off down the hall.

"Until InuYasha has to go."

"Actually, more like fifteen," he corrected. "Don't want to cut it that close."

.~*~.

"Do you really think it's appropriate for you to be sleeping in Kagome's bed?" Mr. Higurashi raged as InuYasha moved his head away from the furious old man who was getting in his face.

"Wow, what hospitality." InuYasha fought the urge to flip the old codger the bird.

"Gramps, stop it now," Kagome interjected. "You saw for yourself that he was completely out." InuYasha's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What, was staring at the sleeping guy a family affair?"

"Buyo didn't look, if that's any consolation," Mrs. Higurashi laughed from her spot by the stove where she was finishing preparing dinner.

"Oh, yeah, that definitely makes it better," he grumbled.

"So, InuYasha, are you staying for dinner?" she asked, either not hearing or choosing to ignore his remark. "It's the least we could do, after your family so graciously let Kagome stay the night."

"No, thanks. I have to go. I'm expected at home," he declined politely.

"That's really too bad," she remarked sympathetically. "Another time, then?" InuYasha gave Kagome a meaningful look, but she decided that she had bailed him out enough today.

"Uh...maybe, although probably not anytime soon. Sorry."

"Whenever you can, dear." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at him, and he returned a nervous one.

"InuYasha, according to the clock it's 6:20 right now, so, unfortunately, I don't think there's time for anymore chit-chat," Kagome said, poking him in the arm, trying to make up for her previous forgetfulness.

"Yeah, I really do have to go."

"Well, it was lovely seeing you again. Kagome, are you going to show your friend to the door?"

"Yep," she agreed, hurrying InuYasha out of the kitchen as her grandfather yelled after them,

"I have my eye on you, boy!"

"I love that man," InuYasha said with enough sarcasm that even the most socially inept person could have gotten it.

"Just go," Kagome grinned, amused despite herself.

"Bye, InuYasha!" Souta called from down the hall.

"Bye!" he called back. Kagome made a furtive motion to the side of the house and InuYasha put his thumb up to show he understood.

"So, I'll see you soon, InuYasha," Kagome said much louder than she needed to.

"Very soon." He couldn't resist winking at her, and she just shook her head and closed the door.

.~*~.

"Hey," Kagome whispered, waving at InuYasha with her hand from the sliding door.

"Took you long enough," he muttered. His head was starting to feel like shit already.

"I was five minutes at the most," she sighed exasperatedly.

"Five minutes can be the difference between life or death." InuYasha hurried into the house, then added, "In general, I mean. I'm not that melodramatic."

"Noted. Now, since you're so worried about the time, how about we hurry?" Kagome peered around the doorway into the hall, and when she saw it was clear she motioned to InuYasha. They tiptoed down the wooden floors and up the stairs to her room, InuYasha checking over his shoulder every few seconds and trying to ignore the pain in his head. She shut her door with a relieved exhalation, looking over to InuYasha and saying, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No, and it was so much fun, too," he grumbled sarcastically, making his way over to her bed on increasingly unsteady legs. He toppled over with a groan, feeling slightly guilty for monopolizing the sick girl's bed the whole day but feeling too shitty to let it really get to him. "Kagome, go downstairs and have dinner. You don't need to wait around up here," he said as she sat on down the bed beside him.

"It's pointless for you to try to make me go," she informed him stubbornly.

"It's pointless...for you to stay," InuYasha countered, his face scrunched up as the pain grew more intense.

"Enough," Kagome commanded, patting his leg. He looked at her through narrowed eyes, partly because of the pain but partly because he didn't like the fact that he was now the one being treated like a stubborn child. Then what felt like a shock wave ripped through his body, and he turned his head into her covers to stifle his moans, the displeasure wiped from his mind.

His last coherent thoughts were about the future. He wondered if this was what the rest of his life was going to be: him, lying on a bed, going through hell and listening to Kagome's sobs as she sat next to him. InuYasha wasn't sure if he wanted to live his life like that. However, he wasn't sure if he had a choice in the matter. The pain then overtook him and stopped his train of thought, not giving him enough time to realize that he had unconsciously factored Kagome into his future.

.~*~.

Big, dewy brown eyes were staring at him, and he felt his face being caressed. He furrowed his brow in confusion, managing to say "Whaza?", then figured that that didn't sound quite right.

"InuYasha?" Kagome asked tentatively. "Are you all there? You seem more...gone than usual."

"Where else would I be?" He looked at her blearily through golden irises, not understanding the question.

"O-kay, I think you need to rest for a few more minutes," she said, pulling her head back from his face.

"No," InuYasha protested, shaking his head, "I...need to get home. And you...you need to go eat." He sat up, pressing his arms behind him on the bed to prop himself up. His hand didn't complain, which was a welcome change from the rest of the day.

"Are you feeling better?" She still wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, trying to prove it to her and himself. "Now go." He got off the bed, feeling more like himself, and pushed her gently over to the door.

"All right," Kagome agreed, though sounding unsure. "Don't pass out on your way home, though. You're definitely not at one hundred percent right now. Is your hand bothering you?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. I just had a shitty sleep last night. You're sick, though; you really shouldn't be the concerned one."

"Can't help it," she shrugged and then stood on her tiptoes, kissing his nose. "Oh, and I'm going to be at school tomorrow. Hopefully you'll be there, too." She smiled and waved her fingers at the stunned InuYasha, making her way out the door and closing it softly behind her. He stood there for a moment and then slowly took the bandana out of his pocket, tying it over his dog-ears, although the fact that he was doing this didn't register in his brain. He walked over to the open window like a zombie, pausing to stare out at the twilight.

"Holy fuck," he said softly, wondering how the hell he'd gotten to this point, then jumped out of the window.

A/N: Whoa, major developments, people! Major. :D I get all excited because I only find out about this stuff slightly sooner before you do. I have some goals/things planned out, but basically I just go wherever my muse leads me. Now, duh duh duh, thank you's! (Oh, and I've started taking out the individual replies in my previous chapters. Names are still there and everything, just not what I said, because they really inflate my word count. I'm still going to keep doing them, they'll just only stick around for a few chapters.)

LiveInColor, SilverStella, Saria Forest14, StevieWonderboyx, glon morski, and 1411alexis.

So, guess what? The 100 review mark is closely approaching. :O I don't think we'll pass it this chapter, but hey, if you don't normally review but you have something to say, I'd love to hear it (I appreciate constructive criticism too). :D Maybe you'll help keep my fingers glued to the keyboard. XD