Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe or any of the popular name brand apps, products, services, etc. The rest is mine.

Chapter 19

Kagome wandered up and down the crowded main street, stopping to take pictures of booths, and talk to the people behind them about their chili or bbq. She had missed this annual cook-off more than she had realized until they had arrived. The air was thick with the smell of cooking meats and bbq sauces and smokers. Everything was a little foggy from the plumes of smoke rising off of the grills.

Her mother had split off long ago to speak with a group of neighbors, while Souta had peeled off when he saw a group of friends. They all held metal water bottles, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew what was in them.

Not that she could judge, of course.

She had been young once as well.

She continued to meander down Mainstreet, taking her time to stop and talk to as many people as she could.

What was annoying, however, was that they didn't start off talking about the food they were cooking.

Oh no.

They wanted to talk to her.

"Well how ya doing Kagome?"

"You in town long, Kagome?"

"When are ya leaving, Kagome?"

"What's new with you! I haven't seen ya in years!"

"Working for a magazine now? Ya don't say! What's that like?"

She didn't really want to play catch up. Not really. Not when she kept saying the same things over and over and over again...and...of course...At some point, everyone would start asking her about Inuyasha. Sometimes sympathetically...sometimes smugly...Like they wanted her to know that he was doing just fine without her.

"You seen him since ya came back?"

"Heard he was dating Kikyo now...She's a sweet girl. I'm happy for him, but we always thought you two would tie the knot. Guess some things just aren't meant ta be, are they?"

Hell.

She was pretty sure she had slipped into hell the second she entered the cook-off.

What she needed more than anything right now was a beer. An ice-cold beer, and some shade, and someplace she could gather her thoughts and maybe not think about Inuyasha with his new girlfriend Kikyo. Not that she was his girlfriend.

That thought left her with a little pep in her step as she located one of the beer tents set up by the liquor store. She quickly purchased one and slipped through the crown to find a relatively quiet spot under a tree. She slunk down under its limbs, allowing the shade to cover her as she cracked the top open.

She slowly sipped it, enjoying the moment of peace and an end to the prying questions.

Ugh.

Why was it their business if she had seen Inuyasha since she came back? Why did it matter?

Yes. She had seen him. Had done more than just see him at this point. She'd held him. Comforted him. Kissed him. But it wasn't any of their damn business!

And, frankly...half the town was there for graduation! They would have seen her with Inuyasha. At the very least, they should have heard about the ball he put in the wall at putt putt when they were talking about their damn scores and everything.

What people really meant was: are you staying around this time, and do you plan on trying to get back with him? Because you shouldn't. Because he's happy.

And...No. She wasn't staying around longer than she had to. She was here to help her mom, and now, to cover his house for the magazine. There was a ticking clock over her head, counting down the seconds until she got back onto that plane and was in LA again.

Good old smog-filled LA.

With its 24/7 take out, art, culture, and interesting people…

...And no wide-open fields. No beautiful serene lakes. No star-studded skies. No…

No Inuyasha.

She hadn't felt this good - this at peace with herself in years. She was worried that when she left to go back to LA, she was going to leave a part of her behind...and she was terrified to find out.

She leaned her head back, taking another sip from her beer. It was cool and refreshing and just what she needed right now. A small reprieve from the small-town gossip.

That was one thing she wasn't going to miss when she went back to LA. The small-town gossip.

"There you are...I thought I smelled ya!"

Kagome tilted her head to the side and spotted Inuyasha standing there - grandfather's cowboy hat on his head. He was wearing a black tank top and boots and jeans, and she had to stop herself from making any untoward comments about his appearance. He looked like he should be in an advert for trucks.

Ford.

Built tough.

She wanted to find out just how tough he was...and the thought made her cheeks flush.

"You ok? What are you doing sitting here by yourself?" he asked, dropping to the grass and leaning against the tree beside her. "I thought you'd be here with...well...at least someone if not your mom."

"Mama is off talking to the Hendersons," Kagome shrugged. "Souta...well…I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure he ran off to drink with some friends. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to drag his drunk ass home before we leave."

Inuyasha snorted at that.

"Sounds familiar. We used to do that kinda stuff when we were his age."

"That stuff and more," she muttered, and he turned to give her a look. "Nothing," she replied, waving him off dismissively.

"Ok," he replied slowly. "Speaking...Ah...well...speaking of drinking...Should...ya be…"

She looked at him in confusion before following his gaze down to her beer can.

"Should? I have no idea. Do I want to? Sure. I...I wasn't an alcoholic, Inuyasha. I was bad. But...I can still...On occasion…"

"Ah," he nodded, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Why are you worried about it now? We drank when I was...with you a few weeks back," she mumbled slightly annoyed, looking down at her can.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I guess...I just wanted ta make sure, since...why...Why are we having this conversation?" he asked awkwardly, scratching his neck. "You say ya can, and I'll trust ya. I ain't your keeper. I just...was concerned is all."

She smiled, pushing any and all of her slightly raised hackles off to the side.

Of course he was. She couldn't blame him. Things weren't quite what they had been a few weeks ago between them...and she hadn't told him until late in the night everything that had happened. She hadn't really had any alcohol around him since. It was a natural worry and concern.

And the fact that he was worried…

She reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"It's pretty good. You wanna try? Local brand, apparently."

"Local? Might have had it."

"Close your eyes and try and guess who makes it," she challenged, covering the bottle from his prying eyes.

"What do I get if I'm right," he pressed, raising his eyebrow.

"Oh ho! Trying to add stakes to this, are we?"

"Hell yeah I am - it's what we do, Kags," he smirked - one of his fangs peeking out the corner of his lip.

"Fine! Fine...You want stakes, let's add some stakes. How about...if you get it right...I'll buy you dinner."

His smirk weakened, and he guiltily shifted his gaze away from her.

"I...Can't. I promised Kikyo that I'd get dinner with her."

"Oh! Of course...I guess I wasn't thinking, was I?"

"I…Think...it's just easy to forget about sometimes," he replied, a small almost wistful smile tugging the corner of his lips up.

"Yeah," she agreed, glancing away from him and back down to the beer can clasped between her hands. "Ok...So. No dinner. How about if you're right, I make us lunch when I come to help you paint your house?"

"I like the sound of that Higurashi," he grinned. "And if I'm wrong?"

Kiss me.

"Let's see...If you're wrong...then you make lunch for me?"

"PB and J ok with ya?" he snorted, and she wrinkled her nose.

"How about you make lunch for me and I send you a recipe?"

"Oh hell…"

"It will be easy! You're helping your dad with his chili aren't you?"

"...How about I just bring leftovers of that?"

"If there will even be leftovers," she snorted, rolling her eyes. His dad was known for his chili, and if he didn't win, he always placed within the top three every year.

Always.

"But Ka-go-meee...You're gonna make me fend for myself in a kitchen again? With my Mother?"

"You're a big boy - I believe in you."

"Fine," he grumbled, and she kneeled, swinging a leg over his lap, which made him sit up straighter. "K-kagome?"

"Oh relax," she sighed as she rolled her eyes, tilting his hat down over his eyes. "I'm not going to dry hump you. I just want to make sure that it's fair. And no peeking. Now open your mouth."

"Y-yes Ma'am," he replied nervously, and she lined the hole in the lid up with his lips, tilting the can up ever so slightly until she saw his throat start to move as he swallowed the liquid pouring into his mouth. She tilted the can back down after a moment, watching as he pulled his slightly wet bottom lip into his mouth for a moment, licking the beer off of it.

She wanted to taste it.

Lick the beer from him herself.

"Well," she asked softly, and his lips widened into a cocky, self-assured smirk.

"It's Drunk Monk, ain't it?"

She reached up and tilted his hat back, looking suspiciously into his eyes.

"How did you know that?"

"Psssh...It's Miroku's brand. Ya think I wouldn't recognize one of ma best friend's beers? I drink it nearly every weekend. I provide him a little muscle here and there too with loading up trucks in exchange for some of it. It's pretty good though, ain't it?"

"It's great," she agreed, her eyes flitting across his face, and he gently placed a hand on her hip in silent encouragement to stand.

"I should get back to Pops. Help him with his chili."

"Sesshomaru isn't around to help?"

"Nah. He ran off almost as soon as he got here. Something 'bout meeting up with someone? Didn't quite catch who."

"Your mom?"

"Getting set up for the pie contest - you're welcome to tag along though, if ya wanna break from...whatever it is you were breaking from?"

"Working on an article for work."

"On our little cook-off?"

"I'd rather do this than talk about ways to prune your hydrangeas."

"Fair 'nough," he shrugged as she stood, getting off of him and allowing him to stand. He dusted off the back of his pants before lifting his hat and smoothing his hair. "So? Ya coming, or are ya gonna hideaway?"

"You said your mom isn't there?" she pressed nervously, and he gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'll give you a heads up when she's returning."

"Ok. Sure. I haven't interviewed you guys yet anyway. And your dad is going to place. Might as well get some pictures of you guys in action."

"That's the spirit," he smirked, grabbing her wrist and leading her through the people milling around the street. He was a little aggressive at times, his gait a little longer than hers, and she found herself nearly running to keep up with him.

She didn't mind though. The view was better than she remembered it, and she couldn't help but allow her gaze to land on his ass a few times.

"Hey Pops!" Inuyasha called as his father came into view. He had a large bandana folded into a strip across his brow to keep the sweat out of his eyes as he intently minced a cube of garlic. "Look who I found?"

"I can smell her from here - no need to look," he replied, keeping his attention on the cutting board. "Hello Kagome."

"Hi," she waved weakly as Touga wiped his knife on the side of the pot. He grunted his acknowledgment of her greeting, moving onto cutting the onions with measured, calculated slices of his knife.

"Kags wanted to interview ya for her magazine while you worked."

"Maybe later," he muttered, scraping the onion and garlic off of his cutting board and into his pot for chili.

"O-oh. Ok," she nodded as Inuyasha slipped a 'Kiss the Chef' apron over his head and got behind the pot, stirring it as instructed.

"Slowly! They need to get to know each other before you just force 'em together!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and Kagome took her camera out of her purse, snapping a few pictures of him.

"Hey!"

"It's for the magazine," she pouted, and he rolled his eyes before letting her take more.

"The shit I put up with for ya," he teased - his face splitting into a smirk. A hint of fang poked out from the side of his mouth again and she found herself remembering what it felt like against her tongue.

"Oh hush - help your father," she replied, determined to not dwell on that thought.

"I am! You see me stirring this pot, don't ya?"

"Too aggressively - slower," his father chastised and Inuyasha sighed.

"This right here? This is why I'm stuck with him and why Ma and Sessh bailed as soon as he got set up."

"Like you're much better," his father grumbled.

"Hey! I came back didn't I?"

"Willingly, or because she dragged you back?" Touga smirked, and Inuysha groaned.

She'd missed this. Their antics. This cook-off. This feeling of...Home.

Kagome sat with her legs crossed on a bench, scrolling through the photos on her camera. She'd thought she had taken more than this but…

Apparently, 90% of the photos she had taken that day were of Inuyasha. Sure, there were other people mixed in there too. But her options in comparison were rather...lacking. It was like for everyone photo she had of someone else, she had at least ten of Inuyasha. And while his dad had won the chili cook-off…

This was a bit.

Embarrassing.

And highly unprofessional.

And yet she still hit the arrow taking her to the next photo.

She nearly choked on her cornbread.

She had forgotten about this one. Inuyasha was looking at her cross-eyed with his tongue sticking out. He was trying to be difficult with her - purposefully botching her photos, just because. He loathed having his picture taken still, after all these years. The thought made her smile soften and she pushed it out of her mind as she hit the arrow again.

The next one he was just rolling his eyes at her because she was so damn determined to take his photo, and the look of annoyed exasperation on his face made her smile. His lips were all screwed up, his nose wrinkled. And yet a few seconds after that, he broke out into the most radiant grin…

And she had missed it.

She sighed in annoyance, clicking forward to the next image, and she bit the inside of her lip.

He was stirring the pot of chili with an intense, fierce look on his face. It had his complete attention, which is why he hadn't noticed her snapping the photo. His lips were set into a stern line, his eyes trained on the pot's contents. He had long since abandoned his grandfather's hat and had put his hair up into a bun to keep it off of the nape of his neck. What really caught her eye, however, despite her attempts to ignore it, was the flex of his arm.

He wasn't doing it on purpose - she knew that.

But the flex of his arm from just stirring the chili...It made all of his muscles pop under his taut, tan skin, and she found herself wanting to run her fingers over it. She wanted to feel them wrapped around her body. Wanted to feel them pulling her into his chest. Wanted to fall asleep with them keeping her pressed against his body.

She glanced up from her camera, to across the picnic area to the spot where she had located Inuyasha and Kikyo eating dinner. They were sitting at a bench, completely lost in conversation with each other, surrounded by people who they had gone to high school with. Miroku, Sango, Kouga...They were all laughing and joking around. Inuyasha was sitting on the bench seat backward, his body facing away from the group he was with, yet his face was turned towards them all. He had propped his elbows up on the table's surface, and his head was cocked to the side as he listened to them.

Miroku must have said something, because they all burst out laughing while he turned beat red, Sango rolling her eyes at him.

She wished she were over there. Wished she could be a part of that small little group again, and for a split second, she thought she locked eyes with Sango. Thought she saw the woman smile understandingly at her. Saw a little regret and wistfulness in her eyes too...but she decided it was all in her head.

Kagome shook her head and briefly turned her attention back to her camera, but she was like a moth drawn to a flame. Her attention was back on the group, or at least on Inuyasha, in seconds. The current song the live band, the Twister Misters, faded out as they began playing a new song.

Wicked Games.

As the opening notes played, Kikyo cupped Inuyasha's face and leaned in to kiss him before leading him by the hand into the middle of the grassy dancefloor. Kagome watched the woman wrap her arms around his neck, holding his body flush to hers. The country band had slowed the pace of the song significantly, and she glanced over to them briefly. The Twister Misters were just a small handful of men all dressed as cowboys with brightly colored shirts and white vests with musical notes on them. They vaguely reminded her of a rainbow, honestly...but even as distracting as they were, it wasn't enough to hold her attention.

Kagome watched in morbid fascination as Kikyo began to sway with Inuyasha to the music.

It was almost like witnessing a car crash, and she could feel more than a few people looking from the couple in the grass to her, almost as if they were all watching her. Waiting to see what she was going to do.

And you know what she was going to do?

Not a damn thing.

They were dating. He had every right to dance with her. Kikyo was allowed to dance with him...and Kagome was going to just do her damn best to ignore the knot forming in her throat. She wasn't allowed to be sad or upset...remember what it felt like to be in his arms. Remember the way he looked at her with his burning amber eyes as he swayed with her when they were dating.

That was all over now.

And if he was happy with Kikyo...

Then good. He deserved to be.

She watched as they slowly turned in a circle, and she began to realize that it wasn't just because they were dancing. It was because Inuyasha was intentionally leading them to turn that way. Because his eyes were rapidly scanning the area, looking for something. Or someone…

"No, I don't wanna fall in love…"

His eyes caught hers and he stopped his circular movement with Kikyo. Standing nearly as still as he could, while still passing for dancing with the other woman.

"No, I don't wanna fall in love…"

She felt her breath catch in her throat as he held her gaze…

"With you."

His gaze was hot.

"With you…"

Burning her.

"What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way…"

She was melting under the intensity. He was trying to tell her a thousand things all at once from thirty feet away.

"What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you…"

And she wanted to say she was imagining it.

"What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way…"

But she swore she saw the longing in his eyes. Regret. Desire. Fear.

"What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you…"

That should have been her in his arms, not Kikyo. If she hadn't...If their past had been different, it would be her. She would be with him. She would be looking into those same eyes as his arms wrapped around her body. He would be whispering I love yous into her ear. Would be telling her how happy he was to have her in his life...and she would be whispering back to him how he was her whole world.

"And I don't wanna fall in love…"

She still wanted that, didn't she? It had been seven fucking years...but all it had taken was just a few weeks back home...a few weeks in his life again for her to realize...

"No, I don't wanna fall in love…"

She wasn't over him.

And she never would be.

Because she still loved him.

She gathered her purse from beside her and went to search for her mother - she needed to get away from here. Wanted to ask her if they could go home and text Souta to find his own way back to the house, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Hey there...Your name is Kagome, right?"

She turned around to look at the man who was pulling her attention away from the love of her life, dancing with another woman. He looked familiar...but she knew he was a relatively new face.

"Yeah," she replied hesitantly, and he stuck out his hand, offering to shake hers.

"Hojo," he grinned brilliantly. "I own the putt putt. I'm...pretty sure you stopped in with your family after graduation and your...friend over there put a ball in my wall."

That's what she knew him from!

"Oh my God! Yes," she smiled...or hoped she smiled. "That was us...I'm so sorry about that."

"Ah it's nothing," he replied, scrunching up his face and waving his hand dismissively. "I run an indoor putt putt facility in a town full of demons - I'm sure he won't be the last."

"But he was the first?"

"If I said yes...would you dance with me?"

"I…" she was completely caught off guard. And not sure what she wanted to say. She was single, wasn't she? She was allowed to dance with another man...Even if she had just…

If Inuyasha could be happy, then she needed to find a way to be happy too.

"I'd like that, Hojo," she grinned - tried to grin - and he took her hand, leading her out into the grassy dance floor with everyone else.

The song was coming to a close and rolling into something a bit cheerier. Sweet Caroline.

"Oh I love this one," she informed him as the band began singing it.

"Yeah? Well good, because I think I'd be a bit upset if you were against Neal Diamond."

"Against him? What's there to be against? The man is a legend," she reasoned, and she was somewhat glad for the distraction Hojo was providing her. He was keeping her mind off the fact that she was still...after all these years...desperately, hopelessly, in love with Inuyasha.

"Hands...Touching hands…" he sang with the band, and she tried to ignore Inuyasha's eyes on her. She knew he was watching them. She didn't know how, but she knew that they were boring a hole in the back of her head.

"Reaching out…" She joined. "Touching me...Touching yoooou!"

"Sweeeet Caroline! BA BA BA! Good times never felt so good - SO GOOD! SO GOOD!"

Inuyasha was furious. She swore he was growling at them at a subsonic level. And as much as she loved this song, it was hard to sing along with the cute, brunet man trying his best to keep her attention.

"I have to say, it's not a great song to get to know someone during," Hojo grinned at her.

"No...it's not...but I have to be honest with you. I'm not going to be in town for much longer, anyway."

"Oh? I was wondering why I hadn't seen you before."

"You must have moved here after I left. I live in LA now."

Hojo whistled at that.

"LA. Damn. Just visiting family, then?"

"Only for another month and a half, I think."

"You think?"

"That's how long work told me I could stay—SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!"

"—Well...I'd still love to get to know you while you're in town?"

"—I'VE BEEN INCLINED! Oh! Ah...Hojo...You seem sweet—"

"—Oh."

"—No! Really! I just...broke up with someone a few weeks ago, and I—"

"—Oh!" He gave her an understanding smile and she felt herself relax. "Say no more. I'd love to get to know you, even just as friends."

"...That...Would be nice," she grinned, and she meant it. It would be nice knowing someone here who was new to the area. Didn't know her history with Inuyasha. Didn't know all the stupid stuff she had done in her youth…

"I couldn't agree more with you!"

She was glad she had said yes to Hojo. After that conversation, he had done a wonderful job of distracting her from the man she wanted to be dancing with, and the woman he was dancing with. Hojo was goofy. A little silly. Had a heart of gold.

As the evening drew to a close, she was actually rather glad she hadn't just...left. Spending some time with Hojo was better than going back to her room curling back up into a ball, and crying her eyes out.

When her mother came over, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, Kagome bid Hojo farewell and followed her out to the car. Souta was, somewhat unpredictably, going to be getting a ride home with friends. She was about to get into her mother's car when she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Hey! Kagome! Hold up a sec, would ya?"

Inuyasha…

He came trotting over to her, glancing from her to her mother, back to her again. He opened his mouth once as if he wanted to say something, and she raised her eyebrow expectantly when no words came out.

He did it a second time, and still nothing.

"Yes, Inuyasha?"

"Paint," he finally blurted.

"What about it?"

"Two days?"

"What?"

"I," he coughed, starting over again. "Can you come over in two days? To help me with the paint? Just the two of us."

"Yeah...sure. I think I can swing that."

"Ok then," he nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Ok then."

A/N: Sorry this is so late…I kinda have been having mental breakdowns and didn't notice this didn't go up. I've removed myself from IY discord communities and haven't been tagging people in posts on tumblr / have asked nearly everyone to stop tagging me as well, if that gives you any idea…So…All I can say is oops and sorry.

I'll try and get the next chapter up next week! Get everything back on track.

This is the only story I'm focusing on at the moment. Everything else is on hiatus.

That said, the infamous breakup chapter has been posted somewhere else. Check out my tumblr for more details!