Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: CONFRONTATION

"Wench, stop shaking, it's annoying," Inuyasha growled.

Great. Now, my PARALYZING FEAR is annoying. Isn't he a sweetie.

But Inuyasha was barely looking at me… his eyes were riveted on Menomaru and Gatenmaru. But then a look crossed his eyes, he glanced at me briefly, and then said in a low voice, "Stop it. They like to see you afraid… it's like the icing on the cake for them, wench."

I stared at him, because for the briefest second, I thought he almost seemed sincere. No, more than that: supportive.

And his words decided me; people like Menomaru and Gatenmaru certainly do not deserve cake, let alone icing.

Now they were so close … they whom I was determined to never give icing to.

"Calm down," Inuyasha muttered. He glanced at me—perhaps noticing for the first time that I was green in the face and looked about to either faint or throw up. Maybe a combination? Maybe then lie unconscious and asphyxiate in my own body fluids?

I swayed.

"H-hey, don't faint on me, wench," Inuyasha yelped, grabbing my arm. Glaring, he added menacingly, "I won't catch you."

I could see it now: me, swooning dramatically and falling to the ground and choking on my own vomit, and Inuyasha, standing above me saying he'd told me he wasn't going to catch me, and now he would keep his word… and Menomaru and Gatenmaru laughing as I died….

Groaning, I shot a glare at Inuyasha. "Aren't you a good friend," I said sarcastically. I'm pretty sure that "good friends" would be perfectly willing to catch their friend if they got sick. Inuyasha… Inuyasha would be perfectly willing to laugh at me and call me a wench.

"Are you trying to play the guilt card or something?" he growled.

Smiling brightly, I said, "Not at all, Inuyasha. Why would you think such a thing?"

"She's playing the guilt card," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, good job, Inuyasha. You read between the lines. I'm very proud of you."

I wonder if he knows that talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. Oh, well. I do it all the time, so I guess I can't blame him.

Yes, I was playing the guilt card… but I hadn't actually expected it to work. So when I felt his big, clawed hand take my own, I was a little surprised. Surprised enough to glance up at him, forgetting that he's Inuyasha and is incapable of doing anything nice without somehow ruining it.

But then he snorted and rolled his eyes, and I remembered.

Maybe I would have rolled my eyes too… maybe even wrenched my hand out of his, as much as I needed the support. But then I caught just the faintest blush on his cheeks as he looked away, and for some reason that made me blush too.

The realization that I was blushing made me blush even more. And that made me turn away… but not drop his hand.

"Isn't this cute."

Those three words were all it took to get me and Inuyasha to forget our embarrassment.

"What the hell do you want, Gatenmaru?" Inuyasha growled.

"This is a classroom, half-breed," Gatenmaru said, rolling his eyes. A big, ugly smirk plastered itself across his face… which is ugly enough without the smirk, I'll add. "I guess you guys don't have them in the half-demon slums, huh?"

I suddenly felt that maybe, my holding Inuyasha's hand might become the only thing preventing a full-on fistfight from breaking out.

"Keh," Inuyasha retorted cleverly. "I'm sure by now you know what a classroom is. How many different ones have you had to go to? Seeing as you jackasses have been expelled from, what… six, seven, ten different schools?" Inuyasha retorted.

Menomaru's eyes narrowed. "You little—"

"Oh, little, huh? Keh, I'm scared now. Wow. I'm little. You really showed me, you mother fucking son of a bitch!"

Oh god.

This wasn't going anywhere good.

"Well, if I fucked a bitch then I guess I can see why you'd be upset—"

"Keh, I feel bad for anybody who has to—"

"Like if I fucked your little girlfriend—"

"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, YOU ROTTEN FUCKING BASTARD!"

Menomaru, Gatenmaru, and the rest of the hallway and I nearly jumped into the ceiling.

LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, YOU ROTTEN… um… inappropriate word… BASTARD!

I preferred to dwell on what Inuyasha said… because what Menomaru said genuinely scared me.

Inuyasha was pissed. Looking at him, I could see that he had taken the threat very personally. Even though it was a bluff.

It was a bluff, right? Menomaru was threatening me, he had been since Thursday… but what could he gain by doing that? I was certain that whatever their plans were, it didn't involve anything like this. Unless it would just be a bonus.

I shuddered, clinging tighter to Inuyasha's hand, suddenly wondering if it wouldn't be so bad if he lost control and killed them.

Inuyasha's clawed fingers tightened around mine, squeezing so hard it hurt. And I realized that maybe, I was supporting him almost as much as he was supporting me.

Menomaru and Gatenmaru exchanged a glance, and then gave us that evil smirk which made me wonder exactly what they were thinking about. Being around these guys is just one of those times you've got to be glad you can't read minds.

"Well," Menomaru said slyly, grinning at Gatenmaru, at us. "Looks like the half-breed has a soft spot."

Taking a deep breath, I said in a trembling voice, "First, don't call him that. Second, I don't like the way you're talking about him or me. I don't like threats, guys. And if you're going to threaten me… you can be sure that it'll be met in equal force." Despite what I say about not liking threats… that sounds like a threat to me.

Invincible Priestess Kagome has risen from the grave—and also cleaned off the mud.

"Oooh," Gatenmaru said. If anything, my threat had only made him happier. "We wouldn't have it any other way, bitch."

Menomaru smiled at us. "It's too bad, though, that you and your half breed boyfriend won't be able to put up much of a fight."

"You fu—"

I clapped my free hand over Inuyasha's mouth before he could say something that would really get us in trouble. And knowing Inuyasha, I'm sure there are many things he could think of saying that could end up sending us to our graves.

"Don't call him that," I growled, "And he's not my boyfriend."

Inuyasha spit my hand away from his mouth rather violently and spat, "And she's sure as hell not my girlfriend."

I'm not sure what it was about those words that bothered me. Maybe just that he slapped my hand away so hard? Maybe that he said hell? But with all the other words he says… why would that bother me?

Maybe it was the fact that he said it like the very idea made him sick.

But that didn't make sense either—cause the idea made me feel sick to the point of throwing up.

Menomaru and Gatenmaru smirked. "You seem a bit defensive, half-breed," Menomaru hissed. He winked at me. "If you ever get tired of him, you might want to consider coming and hanging with us."

Gatenmaru eyed me, glanced at Menomaru, and then said, "But then again, she might not have a choice."

It was those words that got to me. Those words that sealed the nail in the coffin, that made the hairs stand on the back of my neck, that made my spine arch and my heart race.

Those words that made Inuyasha punch Gatenmaru in the face.

"Leave." He punched him in the stomach. Gatenmaru doubled over, gasping in pain. "Kagome." Punched him in the neck. Gatenmaru's eyes bulged, his face going blue. "Fucking." He kicked him in the groin, making the guy's eyes water, nearly sinking to his knees. "OUT OF THIS!"

Both boys engaged in what appeared to be a fistfight to the death… using teeth, fists, and claws in every effort to rip the other's internal organs out of his body.

Since I had no idea what to do, had never seen Inuyasha fighting this viciously even when he was beating up Koga, and had never seen another demon who looked like he might stand a chance against him… I did the only thing I could.

Screamed my head off and wondered, WHY THE HELL DO THE FIGHTS ALWAYS HAPPEN OVER ME???

Suikotsu opened the classroom door, surveyed the scene in an instant, and then asked a question I would have thought he could have answered by himself.

"Is there a problem?"

If the brawling boys hadn't noticed him by the fact that he was standing about two feet away from them, then his voice, dark and humorless, certainly alerted them to his presence.

They stopped fighting long enough for me to grab Inuyasha by the arm and pull him backwards, so quickly that he stumbled into me and nearly knocked me over. We grabbed onto each other to steady ourselves, finally coming to a balance.

And then he glared at me and snapped, "What'd you do that for?"

"Who did I do that for," I growled. "And the answer is you."

With some effort, I resisted the urge to add the word stupid.

"Keh."

Maybe his lack of gratitude would have annoyed me, if I hadn't been so worried for him. Quickly I surveyed his face: he had a bruise just below his jaw, but even as I watched, it was fading. Other than that… maybe a few scrapes on his arm. Nothing serious.

Except for his seemingly uncontrollable aggression problem. We would have to work on that.

But even though he had started the fight… even though he had punched Gatenmaru first, and could have gotten hurt, and had risked himself, right there in front of me, without a second thought… even though he'd been so careless… I couldn't be mad at him.

Oh, I was mad at him for nearly getting hurt. For that… for putting himself at risk… I was furious.

But it was for his sake that I was furious. It was for his wounds, that fading bruise and those scraps, that I was angry. I wasn't angry AT HIM.

He'd done it for me; and somehow, my role in this made it all so much worse.

If he'd gotten hurt….

But now that he wasn't hurt, now that it appeared that Gatenmaru was the one who was worse off, now that it seemed like Gatenmaru, the malevolent one, was the victim… I knew that Inuyasha could get in big trouble.

Careless, careless, CARELESS!

All my fault.

This wasn't like the time with Koga. That had just been moronic. But this, now… it was Gatenmaru and Menomaru who were in the wrong! They provoked him! They threatened us!

They provoked him by threatening me. Surely, Inuyasha couldn't be blamed for this…?

But for a teacher, who just walked out at the sound of some girl screaming… I knew that the situation didn't appear to be what it actually was. Even Suikotsu couldn't know what had really happened.

"Menomaru, Gatenmaru, explain yourselves."

Disregard anything I just said.

Inuyasha and I glanced at each other and then at Suikotsu in surprise. Suikotsu wasn't even looking at us; his eyes were trained on the others, whose backs were now up against a wall. Literally and metaphorically.

And then I knew that Suikotsu had their numbers. He knew what they were like, had seen them trying to drag me out of class on Thursday, and was more than capable of guessing what had happened here.

I had a feeling that, unlikely enough, Family class was becoming my safe haven.

Gatenmaru stared at Suikotsu in blatant disbelief. "What the f—he attacked me!" He jabbed his finger toward Inuyasha in emphasis. Inuyasha—doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help his case—snorted as if to say, "Who else?"

Does he want to get himself suspended?

Suikotsu glanced at Inuyasha. "I don't know who started the fight," he said. "And—"

"Keh, I punched him, stupid," Inuyasha said scornfully. "And I'm bloody proud of it."

Let me rephrase what I said before. I think Inuyasha is trying to get himself suspended.

I sighed. Apparently, it is going to be my job to keep that idiot out of trouble.

Expending a great amount of energy to look earnestly at Suikotsu rather than glare at Inuyasha, I said, "Suikotsu-sensei! It's not his fault. Menomaru and Gatenmaru…" I trailed off, glancing at them. They leaned against the door of the classroom, looking extremely threatening even when they were probably trying not to look threatening.

Looking at them… seeing them smirk at me… it made me realize that I couldn't involve Suikotsu in this, however much I wished I could.

Suikotsu frowned at my silence. "Kagome, what did they do?"

"Um… they… I…"

I couldn't say it.

I'm a freaking idiot.

"They're jackasses," Inuyasha said contemptuously. "Keh. No more explanation necessary."

"We didn't do anything." Menomaru's cool voice forced our heads to turn. "The half breed attacked my friend. I think that Gatenmaru should be allowed to defend himself, sir."

Dang it. He was smooth.

But apparently not smooth enough. Suikotsu's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe that Inuyasha would try to kill Gatenmaru without provocation," he said, lips turning up in one of his wry, icy half-smirks. "I don't know what exactly you said to him or Kagome… and I'm not sure I want to know… but I hope you could reassure me that whatever you said was not at all threatening… and if it was, that the threat won't be carried out."

Once again… somebody who can reprimand somebody for threatening people while threatening them at the same time. I guess me and Suikotsu share that gift.

"Of course not," Menomaru and Gatenmaru intoned in unison, looking offended that he would even think such a thing of such innocent, tattoo-sporting, COMPLETELY EVIL demons.

The lie might have been believable… if it hadn't come from them.

But Suikotsu's face changed. A shadow passed over it, eyes darkening, becoming so dark and cold and unreadable that it appeared they no longer were his own. And then he did the thing which set me off… he smiled.

A chill raced up my spine, so suddenly and violently that I almost didn't notice the slight blue aura beginning to swirl around Suikotsu's head.

"Good."

Suikotsu turned around and walked back into the classroom without a second glance.

My eyes didn't leave the spot in the air where, for the shortest moment, I had thought I'd seen a demonic aura. I'd been scared, for sure… scared of Menomaru and Gatenmaru, scared of the fury emanating from Inuyasha's body, scared of Suikotsu's obviously increasing insanity. Clearly, my fear and nervousness had made me delusional. Have I ever actually heard of somebody's fear making them see blue around their teachers' skulls? No. But what other option was there?

Suikotsu couldn't have a demonic aura. No matter how he unnerved me, he could never, ever have a demonic aura.

HE'S NOT A DEMON.

"Hey, wench. Blink or something, or I'm gonna start worrying that you died on your feet."

I smirked, glad for Inuyasha's interruption. "Not dead yet. Wait a little longer; it'll probably happen before the year ends."

I might have felt more comfortable with the joke if I hadn't actually meant it.

He glared at me. "Like hell it won't." Suddenly Inuyasha whirled on Menomaru and Gatenmaru, grabbing them by their throats and slamming them into the wall. "Don't try to sneak off, you jackasses—I'm not finished with you yet."

If it had been me in Menomaru's position, I would have probably tried to talk and choked instead. But Menomaru didn't look fazed at all by the fact that Inuyasha's claws were DIGGING INTO HIS NECK.

"Are you planning on finishing with us here, half-breed?" Menomaru inquired with scathing boredom.

Maybe his idea of boredom is different than mine… but I probably wouldn't describe having my life threatened as boring.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "I'd love to, believe me, but we don't have time. Just listen, you fuckers: if you ever threaten Kagome, or do anything to her, or even talk to her… you'll be starting a war. And I'm not somebody you want to screw with—and neither are my friends. So… if I ever hear something from her, that you've bothered her at all… if one of you wakes up with a knife in your back, don't be surprised. And you won't have to wonder where it's from."

Inuyasha's words rang in my head, terrifying, comforting, and touching. His rage chilled me to the core. It was a rage unlike any other I'd ever seen inside him; it wasn't pained, like it often had been when he'd turned it on me. It was pure, hateful wrath. And I knew that Inuyasha meant every word he said.

The question was, could he actually act on them? Did I want him to act on them?

And even if he would act on them… even if Menomaru and Gatenmaru knew he would… would they care?

I very much hoped that this wouldn't come to murder.

"Get your filthy hand off my neck, half-breed," Gatenmaru spat, annoyed. "We get it; if it makes you happy, we won't go near your girlfriend. All right?"

Inuyasha released their throats—being careful to knock Gatenmaru and Menomaru to the ground in the process. "She's not my girlfriend," he growled. "And if you go near her… like I said, it's war."

A war over me, his sort-of-friend-not-girlfriend. What an honor.

Gatenmaru smirked, stepping into the classroom with a, "Wouldn't dream of it." He glanced behind him to grin at Menomaru. "We wouldn't want to destroy such a happy family, now would we?" This he followed up with a swift glance to me, Inuyasha, and the baby demon doll lying in my arms.

Something about the way he eyed it before turning around and disappearing into the classroom made me hug it closer to my chest.

Back in Okinaway, I would never have thought I'd end up protecting a plastic doll. But here I am: protecting a plastic doll. The very idea of Gatenmaru hurting our fake child made me want to rip his throat out. And I'm not sure whether that disturbs me or makes me relieved that I seem to be recovering some of my long lost maternal skills.

And if it disturbs me… I don't know which part of it disturbs me more: that I'm getting defensive over a piece of plastic, or that I want to rip Gatenmaru's throat out.

But I didn't have time to ponder that; maybe it's an inanimate object, maybe it's a piece of plastic, but it is my baby and Gatenmaru had gone too far.

I'm not sure if it was the rage kindled in my chest that made Menomaru stop in the doorway of the classroom. But for whatever reason, he stopped and turned; eyes as deadly as his voice was when he said softly, "Inuyasha?"

It must have been either Menomaru's serious tone or his calling Inuyasha by his name which made Inuyasha respond. "Keh. What, asshole?"

Menomaru's pale eyes narrowed, and one of the sides of his mouth curled up in a sick smile. "It already is war."

Is it me… or did the hallway just get a whole lot colder?

Inuyasha looked at him with an emotionless face… only in his eyes could I see the anger.

"Keh. I'm good with that," Inuyasha growled.

Of course he is.

Menomaru smiled, obviously seeing Inuyasha's stupidity as an excuse to kill him in his sleep and claim it was a war casualty. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other."

With those parting words, Menomaru turned on his heel and glided into the classroom.

There was silence between Inuyasha and I for a minute or two. Had class started, through that door in that room which seemed not like a classroom but like a whole different world? Was Suikotsu waiting for Inuyasha and me to join them? Was he arresting Menomaru and Gatenmaru for being complete psychopaths? Was he KILLING Menomaru and Gatenmaru for being complete psychopaths? (Which would be a little hypocritical, since KILLING STUDENTS probably falls under the category of "complete psychopath.")

Even if it's justified.

"Um…" I grimaced, gulped, and then realized just how absolutely pathetic I was being. Straightening my shoulders, I said in what I think was an admirably non-squeaky tone, "Let's go to class."

Inuyasha grabbed my arm to stop me from moving. "Not yet, wench."

The seriousness in his tone made me look at him. His eyes, too, were fairly serious… though it was hard to tell if he was really being serious or just imagining Menomaru and Gatenmaru.

… Dying by torture.

"Those jackasses aren't gonna hurt you," he growled.

"I'll say I believe you if it makes you happy." The fact that I could inject some amount of wryness into my tone relieved me. Maybe I wasn't too far gone after all.

"Keh. I don't need you to believe me." I glanced up at him in surprise… only to find that his usual smirk had returned to his face. Inuyasha grinned his grin… the Inuyasha Grin, cause he's the only guy I've ever known who can do something with his face that might cause me death by infuriation. Still grinning, he taunted, "I just wanted to tell you you were safe so you can't blame me when you spend the next month hiding under your bed."

The sad thing is, he wasn't too far off.

"I am not going to hide under my bed," I scoffed. Maybe the closet or the bathroom, but the bed? So tacky.

"Sure, wench," Inuyasha said, grinning. "I'll bet you ten bucks you're gonna sleep with your teddy bear tonight."

I wonder if a fat cat counts as a teddy bear?

"Deal," I said easily, smirking to myself. Tomorrow, I will be ten bucks richer than I am today.

I don't have a teddy bear. I have a teddy seal, a teddy cat, a teddy dog, and a teddy-strange-butterfly-thing-that-I-don't-know-the-name-of.

But Inuyasha doesn't have to know that.

Seeming to sense my sudden smugness, he narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you smiling about? You're about to lose ten dollars. Even for a crazy wench like you… I wouldn't think that'd be something to grin like an idiot about."

"I'm not grinning like an idiot. I'm grinning like a genius who's about to be ten dollars richer," I corrected. Then, because I couldn't resist, I informed him, "You grin like an idiot."

Aren't I a helpful friend?

I laughed when he said his trademark, "Keh," and turned his nose upward. When he did that… crossing his arms, jerking his chin up so childishly… the thought crossed my mind that in a way… he was… well, a little… a tiny, tiny, MICROSCOPICALLY little… bit….

"You shouldn't talk like that to the guy who's protecting your ass, wench," he teased.

So not cute.

I found myself blushing. I've got to be mentally delayed.

Praying that he wouldn't notice the redness on my cheeks, I replied wryly, "Thank you for protecting my butt, Inuyasha."

That… a little to my shock… made HIM blush. Obviously not liking his reddening cheeks any more than I liked mine, he snapped, "Keh. It's only cause you're too helpless to protect yourself without my help."

Of course it is, Inuyasha.

Sometimes I wonder why Inuyasha is so determined to act like he's not capable of compassion, sensitivity, or actually caring about other living people in general. Is it his hobby, to pretend that he only cares for and about himself? I say pretend because as annoying and egotistical as he can be… he obviously isn't as much of a sympathetically impaired waistoid as I'm sometimes led to believe.

So why put on the act?

I glanced at him, trying to find that little something which once in awhile I thought I could see, hiding in the recesses of his golden eyes. But if there was anything there, he hid it well.

"Well," I said, "Whatever the reason for your protecting me, I'm grateful for it." Eyes softening, I smiled brightly and added, "Inuyasha, sometimes you annoy me to hell. But behind all that… you're not a bad guy." I paused, waiting for his reaction, because it would determine how I went on: sincerity or sarcasm. And I enjoyed being sincere, for once… so I was glad when he didn't scorn me. "Thank you," I said earnestly, "For protecting me. You're right: I'm no match for Menomaru and Gatenmaru right now." And then because I just had to say it, I scowled and added, "Though I think you could use some lessons in tact."

Inuyasha glared at me. "Keh. Wench."

His face was hard… his tone was gruff. But despite all this… because of the way his ears twitched and his eyes softened… I suspected that maybe, he wasn't as cold as he seemed.

Despite everything.

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter… I was worried that the writing lagged during some parts. Anyway, a googleplex (if that's how you spell it?) thanks to the following people for reviewing (I LOVE YOU GUYS!): xXthenextbookwormXx, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, lilmama, Animeroxs Rin-Sess and Inu-Kag, ElvenMermaid, LunaP, EmoKittenz, beautiful-surreal, SuperHarryPotterNerd, Skittle Dog, and bear lover! YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!!!! :D.

Now, a few things: first, on the sit necklace. Don't worry, guys, it'll come :). But you'll have to wait a few chapters, unfortunately. Just hang in there!

Second, for those of you who wish I would update faster, I am so sorry that I am keeping you waiting :(. I do plan to continue updating every four days… although once in awhile, if I get a crazy amount of reviews, I'll update sooner. But I can't do that in general, because otherwise, I'll have to make my chapters a LOT shorter to keep updating. It takes awhile to write them, and I don't want to kill the quality for the quantity. So I hope you can bear with me and survive the wait! :). I'm so happy you like my story, that means so much to me! All of you, you're amazing, really :D.

So, review, guys! Four days give or take, as always (though probably not give or take, seeing as it's usually not give or take XD). REVIEW!!!