Wrangling Sango and Miroku out of Jizzney Land had proven to be more of a challenge than Inuyasha originally anticipated. In fact, it was downright fucking annoying. Between Sango running around the store waving dildos around in the air above her head in a fit of laughter then asking Miroku and Inuyasha to pick out the ones that most resembled their packages, and Miroku grabbing one that was impossibly large and trying to sword fight Inuyasha with it… the half-demon was in a word… irate. And hungry. He was genuinely fucking starving.
Kagome had been literally zero help. She had merely stood at the front of the store the entire time, completely ignoring Sango and Miroku's antics that Inuyasha had been sure was going to get them kicked out. Kagome's gaze had been fixed downward and unfocused every time Inuyasha looked to her for help as she chewed mindlessly on her bottom lip. She seemed dazed and even, he thought worriedly, uncomfortable. It had sent a chill through him, seeing her looking so… distressed.
She had made eye contact with him once in the store while he was trying to grab their dumbass friends, but Kagome had instantly let her gaze drop and he watched an embarrassed pink mar her cheeks. It hadn't been a sweet or even heated look, it was nothing if not laced with a hint of shame and discomfort.
Worse, Inuyasha was positive he knew why; his comment. His. Fucking Comment.
'Fuck,' he had thought between tossing the femur sized dildo Miroku had been wielding off to the side, yanking his stupid friend toward the front, desperate to get them all out of the store before Kagome combusted on-site from being surrounded by the various x-rated products she clearly had no interest in.
Her stance briefly reminded him of his conversation with Miroku. Inuyasha had always thought, or maybe more accurately he'd always imagined, that Kagome was sweet on the outside but could have a wild streak in her. Okay not a 'wild' streak per se, but some fucking fire in her, maybe?! Growling as he all but tossed Sango through the door back into the street, Inuyasha realized that that assumption may have been misplaced… 'she did date Hojo after all…"
So, after having finally shoved both his idiot friends out of Jizzney Land, Inuyasha fell back, walking next to Kagome who was still overly quiet, he shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed loudly before speaking to her softly, uncomfortable believing he was the reason Kagome was suddenly so uneasy next to him. "I-I'm sorry if my comments were too… forward," he bit out, ears pinned back and pointedly avoiding her gaze.
"Hmm?" She asked, looking up at him with genuine bewilderment. "What do you mean?"
"You look uncomfortable!" He growled, glaring at nothing in particular in front of him.
"Oh," Kagome murmured, "sorry I was just thinking. I, uh, I didn't have a problem with what you said at the store…" She replied quietly, nervously thinking about the products in her bag and praying to any and all gods that he couldn't fucking smell them or some shit. 'He would never let me live it down!'
Inuyasha looked over at her then, a black brow rising in a questioning glance as he dragged his gaze over her. She still looked nervous, but her statement had sounded truthful. It hadn't had that shrill or overly placating high tone to it that Kagome normally got whenever she was trying to pull the wool over his eyes. Which resulted in another intrusive thought. She hadn't minded his comments in the sex store… and there was the matter of her scent… it had been… wanting.
He swallowed thickly, speaking slowly, stretching out the words, as he tried and failed not to sound strangled or, dare he think, enraptured, "duly noted."
Blinking quickly and freeing her bottom lip from her teeth, Kagome turned to give him a small smile, blushing only a smidge when his gaze met hers, instantly heating every inch of her skin yet making her simultaneously desire to be further inflamed by the carnal passion of his desire. She forced her eyes away from his, lungs finally expanding again as air refilled her chest but did nothing to actually quell that goddam ache ripping at her sanity.
"What about this place, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, ignorant of the internal emotional and physical crises her friends were attempting to grapple with behind her. "It's got a beach-side bar!"
"Yeah, whatever," he muttered following Sango and Miroku, his claws digging at the sides of his thighs as Kagome's sweet, innocent scent swirled with a dark spicey undercurrent that he was becoming too familiar and, both, not familiar enough with.
Whatever nerves Kagome had had earlier vanished the moment she sat next to Inuyasha at the table overlooking the beach as she sipped on her fruity drink, scooting right up to him and batting her lashes. She was excited for showtime, dragging a free hand up and over the leg nearest her, from his knee upward, while Inuyasha tried to focus on the menu. She could hear his stomach growling, crying out for food, but Kagome didn't let up. She was having too much fun and, really, she was desperate for the contact.
Kagome wanted Inuyasha pressed against her entire body. She was dying to feel his heat bleeding into her skin and craved his full attention. Put plainly, she was too horny to stop herself from assaulting him and was beyond grateful that the bets gave her an excuse to be all over her best friend.
"Looks like you might need another," Sango teased, mulberry eyes raking over Kagome's now almost empty glass.
"I'm always up for another round…," she purred, locking her gaze with Inuyasha's just as her hand paused at the space where his thigh met his hips, applying a teasing pressure with a firm squeeze, grinning up at him then licking her lips before going back to sipping her drink.
Miroku watched as Inuyasha tensed, eyes briefly widening before the half-demon managed to gain a modicum of composure. He turned toward Sango, who had also been watching their friend, a giddy and near righteous smile on her face as she observed the interaction.
Miroku sighed heavily as the waiter came over to take their orders.
Inuyasha was both immeasurably pleased and suffering through a masculine panic when Kagome didn't pull away as the waiter talked to them, her hand still perched precariously close to his one fucking no-touch zone. If anything, she leaned closer to Inuyasha, as if trying to sit in his lap despite the chairs confining them to separate seats. She pressed every free and available inch of flesh against him, her warm words tickling his cheek as she spoke. Meanwhile, Inuyasha gripped the laminated menu so tightly his knuckles were going white.
After taking their orders, Inuyasha almost released a pathetic whine as the waiter took the menu from him, freeing his traitorous hands. He looked around the table, frantically reaching for his drink the moment he saw it, gripping the glass with enough force to keep himself from doing something dumb, like seeing when - or if - Kagome would stop him from playing the same tantalizing game along her distractingly amatory thighs. The thought sent him recklessly careening down a spiral of lewd thoughts focused on the litany of ways he could be between her thighs for hours.
Inuyasha aggressively gulped down half his beer, ignoring the smug looks on both Miroku and Sango's faces when he slammed the glass on the table.
"Well someone looks a little… thirsty," Sango murmured darkly. Inuyasha glared over at her, biting back a snarl as he felt Kagome's goddam foot start to dance across his under the table.
She was nothing if not absolutely fucking relentless.
"You know," Kagome sang, slightly breaking contact with Inuyasha to look at Sango. "It's funny that you mention that."
"Is it?" Sango replied.
"Yes, because you don't look nearly as parched as I thought you would after so much fun in the sun," Kagome challenged, her blue gaze dragging over the noticeable physical space that separated Sango and Miroku. Sango narrowed her eyes at the woman while Miroku sat up straighter, a broad smile curving his lips, knowing exactly what Kagome was saying.
Sango slurped her drink loudly before pushing her chair closer to Miroku, a hand coming up to play with a single lock of dark hair. "Don't worry about me, Kagome," Sango replied cooly, "I have it all… under… control…"
"I see that," Kagome commented, before turning back to Inuyasha, still glaring over at Sango as her lips brushed against his soft ears before speaking. "Step it up," she growled lowly in his ear before playfully nipping at the edge causing him to choke on air.
Miroku snickered as Inuyasha's coughing fit subsided, amber eyes blinking wildly while he stared at the table before turning to Kagome. "Can I talk to you? Over there?" Inuyasha snarled.
"Sure thing," Kagome bit back, loudly pushing her chair back and walking next to him, making sure to grab a handful of his ass as they passed for Sango and Miroku to see.
"What the hell?" He snapped when they were out of earshot of Sango and Miroku, quickly removing Kagome's hand from his rear and glaring at her.
"Yes, exactly what I would like to know!" Kagome hissed. "You need to actually pretend that you like it when I touch you! You just look… pained."
He had a response, locked and loaded on his tongue, but Inuyasha stopped himself. He was pained. He was fucking struggling. He was pretty sure that he would need to duct tape his dick to his thigh next time they went back to the hotel so that he wouldn't have to worry about other people being able to very clearly see his constant goddam erection. He wasn't even flying at half-mast. That would have been preferable to his current situation.
Instead, he stood awkwardly in front of Kagome as she infused her gaze with every ounce of frustration she could. Sighing loudly, growling at the end, Inuyasha closed his eyes then reopened them, leaning down toward her to speak in a hush. "I still can't use my hands," he responded weakly.
"So?"
"So?!" He sputtered in surprise. 'So… I have to fucking grip literally anything else to keep them off you!' "What am I supposed to do?!"
Inuyasha hadn't really meant for that last bit to come out… It was just the end of his thought. He was brimming with need for her, all culminating in an overpowering desire to just fucking touch her. He felt so goddam starved that Inuyasha was worried a weak-ass handshake with Kagome might cause him to cum on the spot. And he was supposed to 'step it up'?!
"Oh my god, have you never used your lips on a woman?!" Kagome whisper-yelled, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at him like he didn't know what Japan was.
His mouth instantly pressed into a thin line, a small twitch creating a momentary snarl while his eyes narrowed at her. "I have," Inuyasha bit out slowly.
"So… then what's the problem?!"
Inuyasha bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks, glaring at her for a full minute before finally answering and refusing to acknowledge the actual problem, "nothing."
"Great!" Kagome exclaimed, her entire demeanor shifting from her previous agitation to absolutely fucking giddy. "Shall we go back to the table then?"
"Yup."
Kagome smiled to herself, undeniably excited for him to put his lips on her, turning on her heel and walking back to the table. Her heart felt like it was doing backflips as she fantasized about his lush lips pressed against her skin, branding her with his affection - fake or not.
A harsh scoff pulled her out of her daydreaming. She turned to look at Inuyasha, noticing immediately the expression of utter disdain he wore as they walked. Kagome was seconds from falling down a void of self-consciousness when she realized that his stare was fixed and looking straight ahead. Following his eye line, Kagome stiffened.
Sango was talking to someone. Someone who wasn't Miroku. Someone who Kagome instantly recognized. Someone who had tried to take Kagome home the night prior but Kagome had turned down because she evidently was far more interested in getting caught in a compromising situation by Inuyasha.
Someone named Koga.
"H-hey, Koga," Kagome muttered taking her seat at the table and shyly smiling at him.
"Hey there, Kagome," he grinned, angling his body toward her, ocean blue eyes overtly checking her out over Inuyasha's implied growl. Without warning, he reached over, grazing Kagome's shoulder gently, her skin tingling at the contact.
Subconsciously, Kagome leaned into the touch, her eyes fixating on his clawed hands as they caressed her bare skin, making her wonder about what Inuyasha's-
The half-demon cleared his throat loudly, nose burning as Kagome's scent deepened and darkened, only encouraging the fleabag and fueling Inuyasha's doubts. She looked up and over at Inuyasha, before blushing and facing Koga again. "What, uh, how has your day been?" She sputtered, attempting to think of a banal topic.
"Pretty good, nothing special," Koga murmured, leaning in toward her, eyes sparkling in the Florida sun. "Just picking up some white boxers," he continued, lifting up a bag as evidence.
"What for?" Kagome asked, tilting her head slightly and eyeing the bag.
"Just some fun for later," he rasped, "hey, you should stop by Dirty Dick's bar tonight!" He suggested, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
"Why is that?" She pressed, ignoring the low growl coming from Inuyasha and the questioning looks from her friends.
"Well, for one, because I'll be there. But, also, because there's a contest I'm participating in this evening. Should be a lot of fun," Koga suggested before letting his eyes wander over her body again.
"Is it an open competition?" Miroku asked, pulling the wolf and Kagome's attention away from each other. "Because… you know, we could join as well."
Koga's grin widened, "yeah. That's a great idea. Kagome you should totally join! You can sign up online. There's a small prize for the winner."
"Awesome," Miroku feigned enthusiasm while Kagome bit down on her bottom lip, sapphire eyes drinking in the tall man next to her. The sun had kissed his skin to perfection and, if it was even possible, he looked better than he had the day prior. It made her muscles clench wantonly as she internally berated herself for walking away from him the night before.
Kagome's thoughts were abruptly cut short though as she felt a warm tickle of air splash over her before she heard Inuyasha's heated and heady rasp in her ear. "Maybe," Inuyasha began, sending a shiver of anticipation and craving ricocheting through her, "if I put a collar on you, you'll remember who you belong to?"
Kagome swallowed thickly, already feeling her chest flush at the thought. His voice had sounded nothing short of exhilarating and left Kagome breathless as she slowly brought her gaze over to meet his, blue pupils blown wide with hunger and eagerness as she perceived his deep gold. She watched the momentary twitch of his brows as they came together, confused, before they fell back to normal, amber eyes searching hers while she struggled to remember how to breathe.
A shrill bark of a laugh broke Kagome's trance. She recoiled and looked around, suddenly remembering that there were, in fact, other people around and realizing that it was Sango's voice she'd heard.
Sango held her phone in front of her, a hand covering her mouth as she stared, wide-eyed, at her screen nodding vigorously. "Yeah, we will one hundred percent be seeing you tonight, Koga," she answered.
"Great, I look forward to it!" He replied, not the least bit perturbed by Kagome's exchange with Inuyasha. He sauntered off then, waving to Kagome and winking before turning to face the way he was walking. "Text ya later!"
"What the hell was that laugh for?" Inuyasha asked as Koga jogged over to his friends, new clothing items in hand.
Sango looked away from her phone, a devious smirk crawling up her face and a dark glint in her eyes, "I signed us all up for the… competition."
"Okay… what kind of competition is it?" Miroku inquired, peering over her shoulder, violet eyes widening before he let out his own cackle of a full-belly laugh.
"Can someone please enlighten us?" Kagome snapped.
"Here, see for yourself," Sango sneered, sliding her phone over to Kagome.
Inuyasha leaned up against her, his entire body stilling as he looked at the advertisement and their four names listed below a confirmation page. "No… not a shot in hell." He hissed, glaring over at Sango.
Kagome's entire face drained of color as she slowly pushed the phone back to Sango. "I, uh, I guess we'll need some white shirts and boxers too…"
"You're damn right we will," Miroku stated firmly. "Oh man… have I mentioned I fucking love Florida?!"
"Go fuck yourself," Inuyasha snarled, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head.
"I can't believe you're going along with this," hissed Inuyasha, walking next to Kagome, his arms crossed along his chest while the pads of her fingers passed over the rack of shirts offered at a nearby clothing store.
"Sango signed us up already," Kagome replied offhandedly, pulling one of the bland shirts off the rack and examining it. It was simple, cheap, and… tight. She bit down on her lip nervously, sighing before draping it over her arm and heading toward the register.
"Kags, seriously?!"
Pausing in the store, Kagome turned to look at him, "you need white boxers… hurry up! Unless you want Sango and Miroku to sign you up for other things."
"How do you know I don't already have white boxers?" Inuyasha replied snidely, narrowing his eyes at her, his face inches from hers.
"Just a hunch," she purred, a hand coming up to graze her thumb across his cheek before sifting through his hair.
Unconsciously, he leaned into her touch, letting the gentle sensation of her caress pass over him as he watched her push herself up on her tiptoes. His cheeks burned as he watched her with rapt attention, daring and hoping for her to press those perfect pink lips that he thought about endlessly onto his.
Instead, Kagome's lips ghosted by his, planting a sweet peck on his cheek as she whispered to him, "come on Inuyasha, this will be fun…"
He groaned, audibly, as she pulled away, batting her eyes at him like she hadn't made his dick twitch madly for a fucking peck on the cheek. Inuyasha almost shuddered in disappointment and grief over the whole ordeal.
"I can't believe you're excited for this," Inuyasha scoffed bitterly instead, shoving down his nearly overwhelming urges, his voice cracking ever so slightly causing him to scowl even more. He sounded like a pubescent kid who couldn't control his goddam hormones.
"I'm not excited to expose myself," Kagome snapped in irritation, "but I am excited for you to show me what you can do with your lips… have you given any thought to what I said at lunch?"
"Have you?!" He snarled, rolling his eyes. "You love harping on me but the moment the damn wolf shows up-"
"Maybe you should make me forget he exists then," Kagome replied sharply, glaring back at him. "Now, white boxers," she murmured, looping her fingers through his belt and yanking him through the store with her. "Like it or not, we are both in this together, so… let's use this to our advantage. Miroku has always wanted to see Sango naked and, I assume, vice versa, because I've always wanted to see y-I mean, because women… women… enjoy seeing men naked too…" Kagome replied, biting hard on her cheek when she finished and closing her eyes. 'Dumb! Dumb! You almost blew it!'
"Right…" Inuyasha muttered behind her, leaning down and looking at her closely with a heavy suspicion, "because… 'women' want to see men naked…"
"Women are sexual!"
"Yeah, that's not what I'm questioning," he answered dryly, raising a black brow as he perceived her. "You're weird."
"Excuse you!" Kagome spat, stopping at an aisle with various boxers and briefs and men's underwear on display. "That's rude! Hurry up and pick out something so we can leave and you can pretend to be nice to me."
"You are weird!" He continued, eyes pulling away to glance at the various cotton options. "You're freaked out by a sex store, but excited for a wet t-shirt contest?! I can't tell if you're a prude or not."
"I… am… not… a prude," Kagome mumbled angrily. "I just… I want to feel safe and respected during sex, is that so wrong?"
"Never said it was wrong, not sure what's safe or respectful about a wet fucking t-shirt contest though," he snipped.
Kagome rolled her eyes, sighing loudly and crossing her arms over her chest, "just pick out a goddam set so we can leave. I'm going to need to hit up a bar before we do this."
"You know," Inuyasha smirked, clawed hands running over the various options dangling in front of him, "we do have that tequila back at the hotel."
She turned swiftly, looking up at him, raising a questioning brow.
"We bought it the first night… because Koharu is technically here as well…" He continued, grabbing a random one off the hook and gesturing toward the register as Kagome smiled.
"You're right," she murmured, following his lead. "Shall we break it out for the occasion?"
"And toast to Miroku and Sango's inevitable defeat? Absolutely," Inuyasha grinned, looking down at her briefly and drinking in the warm, devious smile that decorated her face.
"Sounds like a date."
Inuyasha licked his tequila-covered lips as Kagome hung off of him giggling like a goddam maniac. His blood was heated, his cheeks just as rosy as Kagome's, and world view significantly less bothersome with the roughly… dozen shots-worth of the best tequila he could procure on that side of Mexico coursing through his blood. After changing into white boxers and watching Kagome saunter around in her too-tight white t-shirt - braless again - Inuyasha may have gone a little heavy on the liquor, but as he accompanied Sango and Miroku to the bar it barely irked him.
He was swimming in something far too light and removed from the hell that was Kagome's budding interest in Koga and lack of serious interest in him to care. All he noticed was the way the girl of his dreams clung to him, her supple flesh making him burn. Kagome was just as giddy and carefree as he felt, her hands pressed against his chest for stability and comfort, her head resting on and off on his arm, and her laughter blocking out any and every self-conscious or deprecating thought that threatened to bring him down.
'This,' he thought blithely to himself, 'is heaven.'
"When the hell did they get so fucking wasted?" Sango sneered, arms tightly crossed over her chest, glaring at Miroku.
"Um, clearly at the hotel," he replied dryly.
"Look at them!" She whisper-yelled, resisting the urge to point. "God, how are they still both so fucking oblivious?! I mean, they literally didn't realize I was talking to them a few minutes ago…"
"Sango… they are drunk," Miroku replied flatly. "I don't think they would notice if you took your top completely off."
Sighing heavily, Sango leveled her heavy glare at Miroku before replying, "you'd just love to see me do that, wouldn't ya?"
"I mean… I'm not opposed…"
"Pervert."
"Just kiss already!" Miroku yelled, taking out his own sexual frustration on his friends by facing Kagome and Inuyasha then goading them, ignoring Sango's burning stare.
Kagome turned slowly, her gaze though slightly hazy from the liquor, still held a provocative gleam to it as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for the briefest of seconds before then looking back at Miroku, completely and totally unfazed by his outburst. "Oh… is that what you'd like?" She purred, tightening her grip on her half-demon best friend and favorite newfound fantasy right before she turned to face him while simultaneously yanking Inuyasha down toward her, knowing that in his inebriated state his reflexes wouldn't work fast enough to stop her. Kagome's lips crashed into his as her hands moved swiftly, gripping his wrists so that he wouldn't actually touch her and risk losing their bets.
Sango and Miroku gaped, mulberry and violet eyes blowing out wide in shock as Inuyasha unabashedly reciprocated, not giving a fucking damn that his hands were out of play because, well, she tasted far better than she looked, even if the lingering acidity of the tequila tainted her tongue. He pushed forward, greedily enjoying the spectacular bounty that was her lips and flavor and tongue.
She gripped his wrists so tightly that it hurt, but Inuyasha literally didn't care. If anything, that force was necessary because if not for Kagome holding him back he would have happily thrown himself into her without a single reservation. All consequences be damned when her mouth was on his and tequila filled his brain with sublime thoughts of ravishing her.
"Ah-hem," Sango coughed loudly.
Kagome didn't respond to her other friend at first. She was lost in the moment, enjoying something she had craved for years. She had literally dreamed of this - of feeling those lips she'd spent endless hours looking at pressed against hers, kissing her with the same intensity as she'd seen in every silly Nicholas Sparks movie she'd grown up on. It was ten times more intoxicating than the dumb tequila and it took way, way too much of her willpower to pull herself off of him without devouring him whole.
She wanted to suck him dry before she stood a chance of peeling herself off the one man Kagome truly desired.
"Y-yes?" Kagome stammered, stutter-stepping backward, off-balance, and drunk on her own feelings for someone she was adamant about not being able to be with.
Sango glared at her, a perfect eyebrow raised in frustration and challenge, "you good?"
"Perfect," Kagome breathed, her chest flushed and heart racing as she begrudgingly stepped away from Inuyasha, releasing his hands and looking objectively flustered.
"You look like you could use a cooldown," Sango gritted out.
"Well, good thing we're about to get wet," Kagome remarked snidely.
Inuyasha, stood silently, blinking. A solid part of him wondering if he had merely imagined that entire episode as he looked around seemingly aware of his surroundings for the first time. "Oh… are we already here?" He muttered, amber eyes flitting up to the shabby sign bearing the name of the establishment.
"Yes," Miroku sighed, "we are. So… it would be great if the two of you could stop ruining this for me…"
"How are we ruining this for you?!" Kagome spat, placing her hands on her hips and hissing at him.
"I love you both, I do…" he began, "but… I don't want to see either of you in a sexual light." Miroku explained. "You're my friends…"
"We're at a goddam wet t-shirt contest," Inuyasha snorted. "I think we are a little beyond platonic for all of us."
Miroku's mouth opened for a moment before closing again, his demeanor deflating incrementally as the truth of Inuyasha's words washed over him. "Touché."
"Let's just go inside," Sango replied bitterly, grabbing Kagome's wrist as she pushed through the door.
"Hey!" Kagome grumbled, "you're cutting off circulation to my fingers!"
Sango sighed loudly but released Kagome's hand. "Come on, let's go check in."
Kagome rubbed her wrist with her fingers, watching Sango closely as they pushed through the crowd. "You seem a little frustrated," she commented quietly, following her friend back.
"What? Me? I'm great," Sango snapped, pausing after the words left her. She chewed on her cheek, letting out a long breath. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure, okay," Kagome smirked, rolling her eyes.
"Whatever! As if that kiss was anything even close to platonic!" Sango hissed, resuming her march toward where the rest of the contestants were lined up.
"I have been completely honest with you about my feelings for Inuyasha," Kagome answered dryly. "I should actually probably be thanking you for making this bet. Without it, I would never have realized that, despite his general aversion to P.D.A., Inuyasha is actually a very good kisser."
"I'm so happy for you," Sango muttered sarcastically.
"Don't worry," Kagome purred, placing a hand gently on Sango's shoulder and whispering mischievously in her friend's ear, "I'm sure Miroku will crack shortly after he sees you drenched. That is, after all, why you had signed us all up, isn't it? So that you could have a reason to show off?" Kagome wiggled her brows playfully, watching her friend's face turn a deep shade of crimson.
Sango sputtered, practically choking on air as she processed Kagome's bold yet accurate assertion. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Right," giggled Kagome, draping an arm around Sango as they walked over to where the rest of the women were waiting.
At the front of the bar, Miroku and Inuyasha took a seat along the counter, preemptively ordering themselves a beer while waiting for the "show" to begin. Miroku was nearly bouncing on the stool with anticipation. Inuyasha though felt significantly colder without Kagome's radiant body pressed against him and her lips making him forget about… everything.
"Could you settle down?" Inuyasha barked, glaring at Miroku who was fidgeting nonstop.
"Inuyasha," Miroku began sternly, facing his friend with a serious and firm expression, "do not ruin this for me. Do you understand?" He watched the half-demon stare back at him, head tilting a little to the side, clearly caught off guard by Miroku's swift and resolute statement. "This is the closest I will likely ever get to seeing Sango naked and I will not let you tarnish this opportunity!"
"Oh for fuck's sake!" Admonished Inuyasha. "Just man up and tell her you like her!"
Miroku crossed his arms over his chest, bringing a black brow up into a dry question as he looked back at Inuyasha. He didn't speak, he pursed his lips and just stared back at his friend, letting Inuyasha's advice and/or command hang between them.
Inuyasha swallowed thickly. Miroku knew that words weren't necessary to convey his message. Inuyasha had heard his own statement loud and clear, in fact, it was still ringing in his own ears as well.
"Fine," he eventually sighed out, giving in and leaning back against the bar top, ignoring the childlike grin that found a home on Miroku's face again.
Kagome inhaled sharply, nibbling her bottom lip, the pads of her fingers nervously dragging along her hands as she fidgeted behind the stage in line with Sango and the other contestants. "S-Sango… I-I'm not sure I want to go through with this…"
"What? Why?" She asked, turning to look at her paling friend.
The liquid courage from her shots with Inuyasha was beginning to fail, especially as Kagome peered around the stage catching glimpses of Inuyasha and Miroku at the bar. "I, uh," she swallowed nervously, "I'm scared…"
Sango followed Kagome's eye line finding that it unsurprisingly landed on a certain silver-haired man she was pretty familiar with. "I hate to break it to you Kagome, but… he's already seen your boobs on this trip."
Kagome's eyes closed tightly and her shoulders slumped, 'that's right… I had forgotten about that…'
"Plus, this isn't about him," Sango continued. "This is our last spring break. This is for fun. Fuck 'em."
Kagome nodded quietly in response, clenching her hands into fists, steeling herself as the host began his spiel and hyping up the crowd at the bar. Kagome continued to chew on her lip, sticking close to Sango, heart racing in her chest and resisting the urge to hide under the nearest chair until the sweet cover of darkness.
She didn't have to wait long, before she knew it they were each lining up on the stage. Still clinging to Sango, Kagome walked up, keeping her gaze on the floor. She was too scared, too apprehensive of what she might see if Kagome dared to let herself look over at Inuyasha. 'I'd probably just find him ogling someone else anyway…'
"Stand up straight and smile," Sango whispered, wriggling her fingers between Kagome's. Kagome nodded, pulling her shoulders back and looking up while lacing her hand in Sango's and squeezing.
"It's gonna be cold water, isn't it?" Kagome murmured, looking into Sango's eyes as the host pulled a large hose onto the stage.
"Oh definitely," Sango confirmed, laughing and placing her other hand over her friend's. "Ready to have some fun?"
"I just wish I'd had a couple more shots now," Kagome teased, sapphire eyes flitting down the line. She could hear the loud music in the bar being drowned out by the raucous cheering from the rowdy crowd as the first woman in the lineup was drenched with cold water.
Sango though, kept her eyes on the boys, each leaning against the bar. Miroku, true to form, wasn't even trying to hide that he was staring at the wet women on stage. Her mulberry eyes flitted over to the sour half-demon she found endless joy in goading, noticing that, if anything, he seemed bored. His amber gaze looked out at the crowd then down at his beer, as if there wasn't a literal line of attractive women right in front of him for his viewing pleasure shaking and bouncing in thin white t-shirts that clung to their flesh providing about as much cover as a clear plastic bag.
The sharp pulse of Kagome's grip over her hand pulled Sango's thoughts away from their friends and back to their position. The host finally having made his way to the girls next to Sango who shrieked as the cold water splashed across them.
"Can I run?" Kagome whispered, all courage she may have once had leaving her system with a chilling expediency.
Sango turned to her quickly, smirking as if this was any other day for her, "yeah, you can run… right into Inuyasha's arms after this is over."
Kagome's retort died in the air as cold water sprayed over both of them, covering not only their chests but their hair and faces. Kagome closed her eyes, exclaiming her surprise before laughing and using her hands to wipe the water out of her face. "Oh my god," she muttered, shivering slightly as the water chilled the surface of her skin, goosebumps breaking out over her skin and making her miss the heat she'd felt earlier next to Inuyasha. She turned to Sango who was still shaking jovially.
"That was so much colder than I thought it would be!" Sango exclaimed, running a hand through her wet bangs and pushing them out of the way, mulberry eyes sweeping over Kagome. She whistled, playfully appreciating her friend's figure and ignoring the others dancing and purposely showing off on stage. Sango and Kagome weren't there to win per se, they were there just to have fun and experience the absolute absurdity and debaucherous glory of the whole event. When in Florida, right?
"Oh, shut up," Kagome teased, giggling and smiling before swatting at Sango and lifting her arms up to pull her mane of soaked curls out of her face, biting down on her bottom lip as her cheeks burned, feeling the cold wet shirt tug across her damp skin as she moved.
Sango turned her head, eyes immediately sliding over to where the boys were a moment earlier. She grinned broadly, noticing that not only was Miroku fixated solely on her but that Inuyasha wasn't staring out into the crowd with disinterest anymore.
Miroku had smacked Inuyasha's arm when the host finally made his way to Sango and Kagome. Inuyasha had growled instinctively until Kagome's voice rang through the crowd, piercing him and drawing his attention in her direction.
His grip over his beer tightened, amber eyes locking on Kagome. He could smell the disgusting stench of her nervousness through the crowd when she and Sango had walked out and he'd seen the way she gripped Sango's hand, searching for comfort and strength, her gaze pointed at the floor as if she wanted to shrivel up and hide. It had made him uncomfortable seeing her so distressed.
But her recent cry hadn't been uneasy. Sure, Kagome had sounded surprised, but he watched, momentarily relieved to see her smile even as she shivered at the cold. Inuyasha had let himself relax for a moment, hearing her laugh and seeing her playfully swat at Sango, her own form losing its prior rigidity.
A moment of relief was all Inuyasha had though, his eyes acting on their own accord and immediately dropping. He stiffened, cheeks burning, blinking rapidly and internally screaming to 'look the fuck away' but unable to get his body to listen. Instead, Inuyasha continued to stare, blinking, ignoring the internal screeching while taking in the decadent glory of the translucent t-shirt hugging her supple breasts and pebbled nipples closely and seductively as if mocking him for keeping his distance and agreeing to a dumbass fucking bet where he wasn't allowed to fucking touch them or her.
Inuyasha was too enraptured in his own internal panic and desire to burn that image of Kagome into his horny, lizard brain to notice Sango as her grin grew wicked with glee. No, all he thought about, all he could see, was his braless and magnificently sexy best friend on stage in a wet, white shirt looking more delicious than even the best ramen.
Miroku unceremoniously pulled Inuyasha out of his thoughts as a bottle-blonde was dubbed the 'winner' of the women's contest by elbowing him in the side. "Ready? We're up next."
"Uh, no," Inuyasha hissed, gruffly placing his empty pint glass on the counter, chewing on the inside of his cheek. There was no way in hell he was "ready" after seeing so much of Kagome and imagining a thousand different excuses to get her to look like that again, in private.
"Um… yes," Miroku insisted, glaring at his friend. "Come on! The girls did it! We're up!"
"It's not a good… time," Inuyasha growled, placing extra emphasis on the last word in hopes that Miroku would pick up on the double meaning. The girls may have been splashed with cold water, but Inuyasha felt like he'd been thrown into a goddam sauna. His blood was hot and his brain determined to fill in every salacious thought he'd ever had with the image of Kagome in that damn shirt that clung to her like a second skin emphasizing her fullness and looking better than he had previously thought possible. He had one desire and one desire only at that moment: lick all the water off her and memorize every last goddam inch of Kagome fucking Higurashi.
"Inuyasha, we're on spring break in Florida, this is literally the best time for this kind of thing," Miroku countered.
Inuyasha pinched at the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly, 'and they call me dense.' "No, I mean, the contest-"
"What? Worried about cold water causing shrinkage? Not a problem!" Miroku responded gleefully, pointing to the buckets of water being set up on the side of the stage. "They use warm water on men, I looked it up," he explained proudly. "The last thing I want is Sango thinking I couldn't deliver... if you catch my drift…" He nudged Inuyasha with repeated tiny jabs and a silly smile.
"That's not my concern," Inuyasha snapped. "I could probably use some cold water."
Miroku paused, slowly turning toward his friend, violet eyes wide and smile wider. "Oh you sweet, naive, dense man… don't you realize why the women go first?" He asked teasingly. "I'll give you a hint… It wasn't to turn you off…"
"Excuse me?" Inuyasha asked irately, keeping his voice low, an ear swiveling to the side as he managed to pick up Kagome's voice as she and Sango rounded the other side of the stage and made a beeline for the bathrooms.
"Let's go!" Miroku exclaimed, thrusting an index finger in the air and marching toward the part of the stage where the men were gathering. The half-demon followed reluctantly, grumbling to himself the entire time.
Inuyasha immediately began looking for Kagome's voice and image in the crowd, not to stare at her, but because… he missed her presence. Yeah, the view had been enjoyable and all that, Inuyasha just would have preferred to not have been in such a public space whilst enjoying it, but more so he missed her laugh and her smile and her lips. He missed the way everything felt more at ease, less difficult when she was around. 'Goddam Miroku and his goddam bets…'
"Hey!"
Gold eyes rolled immediately. 'Great, just what I need right now… A fucking wolf.'
"You guys made it!" Koga grinned, walking right up to Inuyasha then looking around him, clearly scanning their immediate area for someone else.
"Can we help you?" Inuyasha growled, already knowing what the demon wanted. Watching Koga overtly search for Kagome right after she'd participated in the contest had Inuyasha's blood boiling for an entirely different reason. He hated the realization that the mangey fucker had also seen Kagome and every brilliant, divine slope under her see-through shirt. Kagome wanted to be respected and the blatant eagerness Koga displayed seemed anything but that to Inuyasha.
"Just wanted to tell Kagome that she did a great job before I went up," he replied honestly, entirely unbothered by Inuyasha's scowl or the low protective growl that had been rumbling from his chest. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"What?" Inuyasha responded dryly, with Miroku standing next to him observing the interaction with modest interest.
"Are you and Kagome… like… a thing?" Koga asked seriously.
"What?!" Balked Inuyasha, his ears flattening to the back of his head before begrudgingly addressing the wolf's question. "No…"
"Okay awesome," Koga smirked, nodding his head smugly as if he'd won a small victory. "Shall we line up then?" Koga asked though he had already begun moving back toward the check-in station as he tossed his half-hearted question over his shoulder toward Inuyasha and Miroku.
"May the best manhood win," Miroku grinned, patting Inuyasha on the back then walking over to the group of men.
"Oh shut up," snarled the half-demon, knowing full well Miroku wasn't just referring to the damn competition.
"Shirts and pants off!" The host declared as Inuyasha and Miroku approached.
"I fucking hate this," Inuyasha grumbled, gold eyes boring a hole into the side of Miroku's head.
"Why?" He asked, quickly removing his shirt and looking over at Inuyasha with a bored, borderline tired expression. "Just think of it as wearing a speedo at the beach instead of normal swim trunks, it's not that big of a deal. Most people have seen a penis before-"
"Not what I was referring to," Inuyasha snapped, tossing his shirt at Miroku's face. Miroku balled it up and glared at him. "I mean Koga. Why the hell is he here?!"
"Um, because he is the one that told us about this little competition and invited Kagome to watch him… or did you forget about that?" Miroku quipped, dropping his pants and stepping out of them without warning.
Inuyasha narrowed his gaze and faced forward, crossing his arms over his chest and chewing on the inside of his cheek. He had forgotten that little fact. He'd been so distracted by his own thoughts that he had very conveniently forgotten that Koga even existed.
As Inuyasha fixated on his seething rage and general distaste for Koga, Miroku frowned and reached for his shorts.
"Hey! What the fuck?!" Inuyasha hissed, feeling Miroku's fingers dip into his pants and begin to pull.
"Did you not hear the host? Pants. Off." Miroku sighed.
"I can do it! I don't need your help!"
"Then do it! They are already introducing contestants!" Snapped the dark-haired man. "Show Kagome what she's missing!"
"I hate you," Inuyasha groaned, swallowing down the anger and frustration before pulling off his shorts. "Happy?"
"Eh," Miroku muttered, shrugging. "I'd be happier if I could see Sango wet again."
Inuyasha grumbled expletives to himself, shaking his head and choosing to ignore his surroundings, especially the wolf. The wolf, which Inuyasha hated to admit but also had to accept, wasn't completely hideous.
Worse still, Inuyasha turned briefly to the side, peering out into the crowd, locating Kagome just as Koga walked on stage. He had to forcibly swallow down the bile in his throat that rose as he watched Kagome's stunning ocean blue eyes drag over the flea-bitten mongrel and pull in her bottom lip. He had a deep, bitter desire to whimper out in frustration and disappointment.
"Earth to Inuyasha!" Miroku whispered, "get up here!"
He shook his head, glaring at Miroku, displacing his anger at Kagome's obvious attraction to Koga onto his friend. "I'm coming," he spat stalking over and joining the others on stage, ears plastered to the back of his head and rolling his eyes as Miroku waved and winked at the various women in the crowd, lapping up the attention as if he was born for that moment in particular.
Kagome and Sango stood by the bar, both donning new, dry shirts they had packed for after the competition. Kagome gingerly sipped at her margarita taking in the view with greedy eyes.
"Koga looks good," Sango commented, taking a sip of her own cocktail.
"Mmhmm," Kagome hummed in response. He did. He was perfectly tanned, had washboard abs, and even without the water, it seemed he was carrying a respectable package. And yet… Kagome couldn't care less. Her eyes remained positively glued to her friend who was glaring at her their other friend. Miroku was speaking with Inuyasha on stage as the host made announcements and began splashing the men in the line up with buckets of water.
The crowd cheered and roared, all while she remained fixed on watching Inuyasha. Staring at him so freely was hard when they were on the beach. He had like a sixth sense for knowing when she was looking at him, which made sneaking appreciative glances difficult. Especially because each time he'd catch her and summarily ask her what her problem was or if she had something to say or some rendition of the same.
But then, sipping on her drink, in a crowded bar, with Miroku testing his patience and distracting Inuyasha, Kagome was free to drink in the magnificent sight of her favorite person in nothing but white boxers. Inuyasha didn't need to know she found him so attractive that her drink tasted bland in comparison to the idea of having her mouth all over him. Nah, that probably would have been unnecessary information.
Just as it would probably have been superfluous to comment to him about his package. Kagome would have been lying to say she wasn't curious. She'd felt him pressed against her earlier, but there was nothing quite like seeing it with her own two eyes. She bit down on her bottom lip in excitement, counting down the seconds in her head until the water would run down Inuyasha's robust figure, forming a perfect outline of the one thing Kagome wasn't allowed to touch.
"Just don't forget to breathe," Sango teased, noticing that Kagome had barely even blinked since Inuyasha had walked out on stage.
"Mmhmm," she murmured back, barely paying attention.
Miroku was positively giddy as the host made his way down the line. Every time someone else was drenched in warm water, Miroku smacked Inuyasha's back, further irritating the half-demon who was already in the middle of imagining one hundred different ways to murder the man. "It's almost our turn!" He exclaimed.
"Why are you so excited?" Inuyasha snarled, "and stop hitting me! I can see!"
Miroku wiggled his eyebrows playfully, "because I know I have a lot to offer these women and soon… they will know too."
"You're gross," Inuyasha commented, watching as the guy next to Miroku was coated in water and began to flex his muscles as if his biceps were what people were staring at instead of his dick.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes again then felt a familiar heat burn at the back of his brain. He swallowed nervously, looking out toward the bar, instantly finding Sango and Kagome. Sango was waving to them and laughing, but Kagome was… staring. Her deep, sapphire eyes were dark and hot, her drink obscuring her perfect mouth. She stood perfectly still as if too entranced to even move. Inuyasha's cheeks burned and he pulled his gaze away, abruptly remembering where he was and what was about to happen and how bad thinking about how much he enjoyed that wanton look in her big, bright eyes would be. Unfortunately, it had already taken root in his brain because he would kill to see her look at him like that again and again and again and again-
The residual water that was tossed onto Miroku splashed Inuyasha and forced him to come back to reality. He instantly rolled his eyes, watching Miroku stand tall and proud, raising his fists as if in victory and fully enjoying the crowd's cheers of encouragement. In a fit of overconfidence, Miroku stepped to the front of the stage, placed a hand over his heart, and, with his other hand, pointed over to where Kagome and Sango stood. He cleared his throat and then, as loud as he could, declared, "I would like to take this moment to thank my dear friend Sango for making me look more impressive than usual!"
Kagome sputtered, choking on her drink as Sango turned bright red next to her. "I will kill him," she muttered to Kagome, who was still trying to compose herself but was too busy laughing and coughing at the same time.
Lost in the moment and enjoying himself entirely too much, Miroku grabbed a bucket of warm water from the side of the stage, cutting off the host and dumped it over Inuyasha, dropping the water over his head before then grabbing the water from the host and tossing it overtly at the stunned half-demon's crotch before cheering loudly and proudly with the crowd.
"What the fuck?!" Inuyasha hissed, wiping the water away from his eyes and snarling at Miroku, ignoring the whistles and catcalls from the women and men watching.
Miroku, merely giggled, "you look like a wet dog… an impressive wet dog."
"I will claw out your eyes," Inuyasha threatened as the host quickly moved by the quarreling men to finish the competition.
Miroku scoffed, then tilted his head to the side, gesturing toward the bar where Kagome and Sango stood, "are you sure about that? I think you should be thanking me… Kagome looks like she's loving the show…"
Inuyasha sighed loudly, glaring at Miroku while still wiping the water from his face.
"Okay fine," Miroku shrugged, gesturing over to where the women were. "Just remember… I am always happy to re-negotiate the terms of our bet…"
Inuyasha had meant it as a quick glance and only a quick glance, fully anticipating to find Kagome to be staring at Koga or any of the other contestants, but that intention died a quick painful death as he realized in horror and fascination that Kagome was looking at him, her eyes still heavy and dark, her cheeks flushed a brilliant red and her bottom lip held precariously between her teeth. It made his heart race and his mind run wild at the thought that she might just like what she saw.
Then she looked away, her eyes connecting with Sango, who was trying to hide behind her hands.
It was good Kagome looked away first, Inuyasha told himself, because otherwise, he wasn't sure he could keep up his end of the bet for much longer.
She swallowed thickly, eyes wide and unfocused. He'd caught her staring. 'Oh god,' Kagome hissed internally. 'It's all over now… he knows… he has to know now, right? Crap.' But even as she chastised herself, his image stuck to the forefront of her mind along with a strange pride. She'd picked a winner, that was for sure, and that did nothing to stop her daydreams and fantasies of testing the limits of nirvana with what she could now say for certain was a handsome appendage.
Kagome let herself look back over briefly at the stage as the winner was announced and the object of her desires walked off with Miroku still laughing next to him. 'Maybe I should make a run for it…'
Fifteen minutes later, Inuyasha and Miroku walked through the crowd, or rather… Inuyasha walked through the crowd while Miroku hit on any and every girl that complimented his "performance". Several had also reached for Inuyasha, licking their lips as if that would convince him to entertain their company but he just didn't care. He wanted to be next to Kagome. He wanted to joke with her about how fucking annoying and dumb Miroku could be or how obvious it was that Sango was eye-fucking Miroku the entire time he was on stage.
Inuyasha just wanted to hang out with his friend.
Except, as he followed her scent through the crowd after having changed into dry clothes, Inuyasha paused, shoulders slumping as he slowly realized that she wasn't alone. She was with Koga. His nose never lied and as soon as he spotted her his eyes confirmed what he already knew; the wolf had beaten him to Kagome.
Koga stood unbelievably close to Kagome, a single hand caressing her arm, ice blue eyes appreciating every womanly curve to her as she giggled and grinned back at him, sipping her drink while the eyes Inuyasha loved sparkled and gleamed at the fleabag. He sighed loudly, redirecting himself toward the bar.
"I have to hand it to you," Sango began, coming up next to him. "I never thought I'd say this to you but… I have to give you props."
"For what?" Inuyasha asked dryly, waiting for the bartender to notice him, as he leaned over the counter in his dry boxers, suddenly undyingly thankful the girls had thought ahead to bring a spare set of dry undergarments.
Sango pursed her lips and purposefully waited for him to meet her eyes before she blatantly dropped her gaze and stared openly at his crotch.
Inuyasha groaned loudly, "can we never fucking mention today ever again?"
"Sure," Sango agreed, laughing and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Miroku certainly got a little carried away."
"You can say that again," he sneered, turning briefly to see Miroku still gleefully in the middle of a crowd of women.
"You know," Sango began, her voice soft and reassuring, "you could stand to have a little more fun though… I mean… if you want a woman, just tell her… "
"Excuse me?" Inuyasha bemoaned, looking at his friend.
"What? Am I wrong?" She challenged, waving over the bartender. Sango waited patiently for a response that never came. Inuyasha simply huffed. "I'm going to go dance with that guy who has been staring at me for half an hour, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, go do your thing," he muttered after placing his order with the bartender.
"I'll check back in thirty minutes to see if you need saving," Sango joked as she left.
"Wonderful," grumbled Inuyasha, immediately seizing his drink the moment the bartender placed it in front of him. 'More fun?!' He thought angrily to himself, 'how dumb.' Inuyasha sipped on his drink, it wasn't about a lack of fun, it was, he realized, just a total lack of interest in things that didn't bring him closer to Kagome.
"Hey, is this seat taken?"
Inuyasha looked briefly to his side, a single thick brow rising as he perceived the woman smiling over at him. Her long, lustrous black locks were pulled back exposing her exquisite feminine frame and bright brown eyes. She looked about as sweet as apple pie and just as delicious. "Uh… no…"
"Do you mind if I keep you company then?" She continued, "or… are you with that woman?" She motioned in the direction that Sango had walked off in.
"I-I'm not with her," Inuyasha replied, "um, yeah, you can sit there."
"Awesome, I'm Kikyo," she introduced, sliding up into the barstool next to Inuyasha. She angled her entire body toward him, giving him nothing less than her full attention while smiling at him like he was something worth marveling at, and maybe at the wet boxer contest, he was.
"Inuyasha," he mumbled, nodding awkwardly at her before taking a long sip of his drink.