Me: Wow, I talked about a lot of random things last time. Hahaha!

Hm… MT Night, if you don't get what Kagome did, then… read the other reviews for a hint, and if you still don't know then I guess I'll just tell you.

NP, lady-of-tormentdeath. NP… Nintendo Power… hahaha! No problem about the IY spoilies.

-RenegadeMustang-, thanks for reading! I appreciate it considering the parings you have in your profile and your opinion on slash.

Thanks for the belated B-Day shout out, Teen Idol GoGo Yubari! Huh, I was wondering why I haven't seen your name lately. That Gwen Stefani song… at school we had this fashion show last year and I had to make an anime trailer for part with the Japanese girls' clothing. By myself. It was supposed to be four of us working on it but I had the best resources. (Sigh) Lol, your comments about seeing alternate pairings together made me laugh. So great. I thoroughly enjoyed it when I was playing "InuYasha: Ougi-Ranbu" and Sango and Kagome worked together to beat Miroku up. Hahaha! Since I live in Canada, Thanksgiving was in October for me, but Happy – er – Belated Thanksgiving to all too! We just got snow here. (Sigh)

And to not leave you out, thanks for the steady reviews Flaming Soul and kitty! It lets me know there's still an interest in these stories and how I'm doing.

Disclaimer: "InuYasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

Story 25: You Can't Spell Lust without UST

She was doing it again.

It was hard just to be near her, but it felt wonderful too. She was so close, close enough to reach out and touch. She would never be able to do that though, not with her hidden intentions. Even if she did, now she'd get flustered and want to let go. It was best to just stay away. That's what Kagome thought as she watched Miroku and Sango conversing.

Miroku was lucky. He could always be close to Sango and wait for the opportune moment to tell her how he felt. Kagome was sure Sango wouldn't mind. If she herself were to do it though… she imagined it would be a disaster. Their relationship would never be the same again.

Kagome got tired of casting her longing stare upon Sango. It wasn't like Sango was going to magically notice her that way after being so oblivious. So she got off from the steps and told Inuyasha she was going take a walk. He looked at her suspiciously, but otherwise kept his complaints to himself.

She went off past several trees to find a clearing where she could be alone. When the foliage cleared she found a stretch of grass alongside a brook where she would be hidden from prying eyes. Kagome made herself comfortable on the grass and tried to think about other things; the sky, the water, even school. However, her secluded and tranquil environment only helped her to focus on the one person she came here to stop thinking about – Sango.

- - -

Kagome didn't really know for how long she had been away. Neither did she really care. She was fine taking shelter in her solitude. Quite fine until someone came up behind her. "Hey, what's taking you so long to come back?"

Her brow furrowed slightly at his voice. "I just wanted time to think."

He came around to look at her. "You could do that back at the village."

"No, I couldn't."

"Why not?" The hanyou waited for a response, but got nothing. So instead he asked, "Are you coming?"

Kagome looked away from him. "No."

Irritated, her company slumped down beside her. "Come on, you've been out here for nearly an hour."

"Inuyasha, just leave me alone."

That simply made him more upset. "What's the problem? Are you mad at me or something?"

"Inuyasha, not everything is about you, alright?"

"Then what is it?"

"Osuwari!" Kagome shouted that word she used oh-so-often when she just couldn't take the hanyou's unruly behaviour. Inuyasha's face ploughed into the ground. "Now unless you want me to do that ten times, you'll leave me alone!"

"Gh – Fine!" He stormed off in a huff, not caring if he broke any branches on the way.

- - -

"What's the matter with her?" As soon as he reached Kaede's Inuyasha started venting on the others.

Miroku sighed. "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything!" Inuyasha pounded his fists on the floor at Miroku's accusation. "Besides, she even told me so!"

"Maybe she's lying," Shippo muttered.

Inuyasha frowned. "Huh? Why would she do that?"

"Because she knows you'll get mad and bother her about it."

"What?" Inuyasha used a more threatening tone with Shippo.

Trying to keep the peace, Miroku said, "Now, now. Perhaps there really is something other than Inuyasha upsetting her." Even after another threat from Inuyasha, Miroku went on. "Has anyone noticed something different about Kagome-sama? Inuyasha, maybe it has something to do with back in her time?"

"No, she usually tells me if she has stuff like tests going on."

"Hm… then what – uh?" Miroku looked up from his pensive state. "Where's…"

- - -

Hearing rustling behind her, Kagome was on the defensive again. "Inuyasha, I told you to leave me alone."

"Sorry."

That didn't sound like Inuyasha. Kagome spun around. "S-Sango-chan!"

Emerging from the forestry was indeed Sango, smiling at her. She moved toward Kagome, who didn't dare to move or say anything. "Is it okay if I sit here?" Kagome nodded hesitantly. When she was settled, Sango said, "So, Inuyasha was bothering you again?"

Kagome paused before saying, "He just didn't understand that I wanted to be alone."

"Oh," Sango replied, having not realized that. "I guess I should leave then."

"No!" Kagome exclaimed just as Sango made the slightest movement. "I mean… you don't have to go, Sango-chan." Why she said that, Kagome wasn't sure. She had to admit though that she was happy when Sango was near her, and she didn't want this opportunity to pass her by – even if it made her anxious at the same time.

So though momentarily surprised at Kagome's response, Sango did stay with her. She sat with her, watching the view with Kagome. After a while however, Sango questioned, "If you don't mind my asking Kagome-chan… why are you out here?"

Kagome faltered, but quickly came up with a general reply of, "I was just thinking about someone."

"Someone like Inuyasha?"

"No. This person isn't like Inuyasha."

This made Sango wonder. If the person wasn't like Inuyasha, then it couldn't be Kouga either, could it? What kind of person…? "Is this person causing you trouble?"

"You could say that, but it isn't done intentionally."

Well there goes Naraku. "Are you sure it isn't Inuyasha?" Sango prodded.

"It's not him, Sango-chan."

"But…" Sango wasn't sure how to word this. "Is it something to do with this person romantically?"

With this question, Kagome's cheeks stained red. "Um…"

Sango's eyes widened. "Really? But it's not Inuyasha or Kouga?"

Kagome shook her head, avoiding any eye contact with Sango. "It's just that… I don't know what to do with how I feel."

Sympathetic, Sango suggested, "Maybe you should just tell them," but Kagome shook her head.

"I can't. I'm afraid of how they'll respond, and how things might change between us. I don't want that."

"But things might change for the better."

"I doubt it." Having this conversation about the person Kagome wanted with that person was nerve-wreaking. Kagome put her arms up in front of her to hide her face, eyes beginning to betray her. Sango saw how she was acting and motioned to put her hand on her arm.

Kagome noticed this. "No!" And she smacked her hand away.

Sango blinked at her, Kagome staring back. "What?"

"Don't… don't touch me."

This wasn't making any sense to Sango.

Kagome turned away from her. "It… it hurts when you touch me."

Having been given a minimal explanation, Sango said, "What do you mean? Are you injured somewhere?"

'It's… on the inside!' Not being able to stand this for another minute, Kagome leapt up and away from Sango, dashing into the forest. Behind her she heard Sango calling her name, but she didn't stop. She burst out into the clearing where the well was.

For a second she played with the idea of going home until something leaped out in front of her. Usually a simple feline youkai wouldn't scare Kagome, but at the moment she was unarmed and this youkai was twice her size. It charged at Kagome, Kagome in turn making an attempt at escape. She only made it a few steps until she tripped, flipping over to see the beast pounce. She shut her eyes waiting for it to land, but instead heard a clang. Allowing her lids to open, the girl saw another protecting her.

"Kagome-chan… run!" Sango was poised above her; the blade hidden within her forearm out against the youkai's jagged teeth. Kagome was paralyzed by the sight. She only staggered to her feet when Sango shouted at her to hurry, and took off for the village.

Exploding into the cabin, she yelled, "Inuyasha!" Everyone looked at her.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha immediately stood. "What's the matter?"

"It's… it's Sango-chan! There's a youkai, and… and…"

"Okay, I got it. Let's go." Kagome climbed aboard the hanyou and left Kaede's; Miroku, Shippo and Kirara in tow.

Clinging on to Inuyasha, Kagome kept running through her head the hope that Sango was okay and that they would all make it there in time. As it turned out when they got there, Sango was standing above the limp youkai with her back facing them as they came up. She turned at the sound of their arrival, surprised to see them.

"What are you all doing here?"

Miroku replied, "Kagome-sama said you were in trouble."

"Eh? Kagome-chan?" She looked at the schoolgirl.

Kagome was watching her apprehensively. Her eyes moved over Sango, seeing her blade stained with blood, the bright substance also having splattered on her kimono. She knew Sango was okay, but just seeing her like that made something twist around inside. So she did the first thing that came to mind; she rushed into Sango, not caring if her uniform was tarnished in the process. She grew teary, gripping onto Sango's clothes. Though not completely understanding of the situation, Sango pulled her arms around Kagome and held her comfortingly.

After a contemplating moment, Miroku said to Inuyasha, "We should be going."

"What? Why? OW!" Inuyasha clapped his hands over his head where Miroku whacked him.

"Don't ask questions, just do it!"

Begrudgingly, Inuyasha followed while glaring at the monk.

It was just Sango and Kagome now, the latter quietly whimpering into Sango's shoulder. As the seconds passed, Kagome calmed down, eventually realizing the position she was in. She gently broke away from Sango and muttered, "Sorry. I guess I overreacted. I should have known that you'd be able to handle yourself."

Sango smiled. "That's okay. You don't have to apologize for that."

Kagome looked away, embarrassed to see Sango smiling at her.

Noticing this, Sango asked, "Is there something else?"

Kagome fidgeted under Sango's gaze. "No."

"But, why are you looking so glum?"

"It's nothing." She turned to walk away until Sango grabbed her wrist.

"Kagome-chan, wait. What's the matter? You've been acting like this all day." When Kagome didn't respond, she added, "I don't like seeing you like this. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Kagome clenched her teeth in an attempt to hold back her emotions. "You can't… Sango-chan, you can't… So let go!" She blindly jerked her arm away. Sango finally released her, but only after the back of Kagome's hand collided with the taiji-ya's face.

Kagome stared at Sango, surprised at the contact her hand made. Sango looked back at her confusedly, reaching up to touch the inflicted area. Kagome was overwhelmed. She hadn't meant to hit Sango, but she did. Not knowing what was about to happen next or what to do, Kagome once again ran from her problems.

She sped back to Kaede's and gathered her belongings, ignoring the others' questions when she came in suddenly. With a threat of using 'the word' towards Inuyasha if he tried to follow her, she left the hut and hid in the bushes. She felt pathetic hiding there, but she didn't want to risk running into Sango on the way back to the well. So she waited until she saw Sango return and disappear into Kaede's before heading home.

- - -

Even with her warning, Kagome was mildly surprised Inuyasha hadn't tried to bring her back. It had been two days since she left and had time to mull over things. Her friends were aware of her disposition, but Kagome insisted that they couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't help her if she didn't tell them the details of her problem, which she didn't want to. She would have to go back eventually though; the others couldn't track down Shikon shards without her. After dinner, she packed and summed up any courage she could find to help her make the trek back.

When her feet touched the well's bottom, she gazed up at the opening. Slowly, she proceeded to climb; all the while thinking about what she would say when the time came…

"Welcome back."

"Ahh!" Kagome slipped on the vines and lost her footing. Just before she was about to plummet, a hand reached down and grabbed her own. She was pulled up over the well's ledge by her rescuer.

Sango helped her out to sit on the ledge. "Sorry. Did I startle you?"

Kagome blinked. "Uh… yeah… but thanks for catching me." She looked around the well. Laid out on the ground were Sango's belongings and the extra sleeping bag she had brought from the present. "Have you been waiting here all this time?"

"Well, our conversation didn't exactly end on proper terms." Sango sat on the sleeping bag. "I just wanted to get back to it as soon as possible."

"Oh…" Kagome rubbed her arm uncomfortably, but didn't say anything else.

Sango started instead. "So I was wondering." Kagome looked at her. "Why did you hug me if you said you didn't want to be touched?"

Kagome slid down in front of her and stared at the ground. She took a breath. "It's not that I don't want you to touch me. It's just that I get afraid of that feeling that comes when you do. I get tense and see sparks and it makes me nervous." Kagome wrung her hands in her lap, knowing that she was getting closer to revealing the truth. "I hugged you because I care about you. I care about you a lot; a lot more than you may think." She paused, face turning red. "I just… I just really like you. But not in the 'just friends' way. You know?"

Sango gazed at her. "… I kind of did."

Kagome's sight shot up to meet Sango's. "You did?"

"Two days gives you a lot of time to figure things out." Sango grinned slightly from the corner of her mouth. "Plus, I'm not as dense as Inuyasha is." That caused Kagome to grin as well.

She went back to blushing. "So, what do you think?"

Sango sighed. "I think…" She reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair away from Kagome's face. "You should have told me sooner." Kagome's face burned. "I don't want you feeling hurt like that." She leaned in to Kagome. "And you won't have to anymore." Sango kissed Kagome gently, just tickling the younger girl's lips.

Dizziness was what Kagome felt when Sango kissed her. It was so surreal to her; she would never have expected this to happen, but here it was, right in front of her. She closed her eyes and, just to make sure, she kissed Sango back. When they parted, Kagome felt the warmth in her face, trickling its way down her body. She saw Sango was blushing too, and Kagome liked it.

She licked her lips. Kagome murmured, "Is this really okay?"

"It's okay for me if it is for you."

Kagome couldn't help but smile. She finally got Sango. As if to test this, Kagome put her hand against Sango's cheek, the warmth and softness of her skin making her nerves tingle. She whispered, "I'm sorry I hit you."

The taiji-ya put her hand over Kagome's. "It was an accident."

"Still… sorry." Kagome removed her hand along with Sango's. She replaced it with her lips, setting soft kisses along the area and then nuzzling her nose against it. Glancing down, Kagome took note of something. She leaned back to get a better view. "Your kimono is still dirty."

"Ah, yeah. I didn't get a chance to get to that."

Kagome tugged on Sango's kimono. "I'll do it for you."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I just kept putting it off because I was waiting for you."

"Well I'm here now."

"Yes, you are."

Sitting closely, they looked at each other again. Kagome wishfully anticipated another sweet kiss.

"Kagome!" That is, until Inuyasha came trouncing up to them. "It's about time you were back!"

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku greeted her from behind the hanyou.

"Eh?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha when he came to stand in front of her. "What is it?"

Inuyasha scowled. "What do you mean 'What is it'? You've been gone for two days! We have to get going, you know."

Annoyed, Kagome retorted, "In case you didn't notice Inuyasha, I wasn't in a good mood before I left."

"I remember. You wouldn't tell me anything. It's your fault for bottling it up."

"Oh, no." Miroku shook his head.

"OSUWARI!"

"GAR!" Inuyasha's body hit the ground.

Kagome balled her hands into fists. "Inuyasha, you're insensitive as always!"

He shot his head up at her. "Well maybe if you told me what was wrong I –"

"OSUWARI!"

BANG! "GARR!"

"OSU-" Sango clamped her hand over Kagome's mouth before she did any more damage.

"Houshi-sama, maybe you should get Inuyasha out of here before he's too injured to journey."

"Right." Miroku picked a dazed Inuyasha up by his collar. As he was about to leave, he looked over at Sango and Kagome. "Then maybe later you'll tell me what you two were talking about?"

Sango flatly said, "No."

He sighed, but otherwise left the two of them alone to their business. For now.

When Sango removed her hand, Kagome complained, "Why did you stop me?"

"Sometimes I think you actually like doing that to Inuyasha," Sango answered.

Kagome pouted. "Well he brings it on himself. You know that."

"Yeah, I do." Smiling, Sango moved in to kiss Kagome again, same as last time.

Kagome accepted it gratifyingly. When they pulled away, she said, "If you do that every time I try to say 'osuwari,' I may just have to do it more often."

They both laughed as Kagome leant against Sango's shoulder, the taiji-ya commenting, "Poor Inuyasha."

Me: Nice and long this time, huh?

Here's something fun – if anyone can guess what the 'UST' in the title stands for, I'll put some links to a few KagSan screenshots in my profile. They're the kind when the camera scans over one large image, so I put the shots together to make it whole.