Alannada: we'll see haha

Chapter Five

Change of plans

Fuck... convincing Kagome to follow him into the forest wasn't going to be as easy as Inuyasha had imagined. Even if humans weren't as smart as demons, Kagome wasn't stupid and she wasn't about to leave with him, no matter how much she felt the connection.

He considered taking her by force. Even if he was human that night, Inuyasha knew he was much stronger than her and could drag her there... but she would surely scream and fight back, drawing the attention of the other humans and forcing him to let her go.

And after that, he was sure she would never trust him again and it would be impossible to take her to the forest.

Inuyasha frowned and ignored his conscience, which was complaining about this human named Hojo offering to escort Kagome home. He could tell Hojo was interested in her, but apparently it wasn't mutual.

Inuyasha smiled inwardly. Now that she had met him... that poor human had nothing left to do. From the moment Kagome saw him, she would no longer be able to think of any other man but him.

The magic of attraction was there. It bothered him, but he felt it too... they were meant to be mates, after all. Inuyasha couldn't avoid those feelings and even less so in his human form, when he became much more sensitive.

And that's why he didn't like the idea of having to wait another month to kill her. The longer it went on, the harder it would be for him.

Her eye colour had caught his attention, a very light brown that seemed to glow when she looked at him. Her hair was as dark as his at the moment, and gave off much of her scent. Every time Kagome moved it, Inuyasha had to stop breathing to keep his concentration.

Her group of friends began to walk away and he saw that she was nervous, clutching her handbag and glancing sideways at him.

Kagome asked him if his house wasn't in the same direction as the others and Inuyasha shook his head. He would have to keep trying to convince her, even though sunlight was already beginning to creep into the air and he had little time left.

Inuyasha gestured to where he knew the temple he had seen her leave was, offering to accompany her, and watched Kagome bite her bottom lip nervously. Apparently she still didn't trust him.

"You don't trust me," Inuyasha said teasingly.

"I don't know if I should... we hardly know each other."

Her answer made him clench his fists to hold back a growl. He hated that she could resist him so easily.

She looked around, taking in the people walking the streets. It was five in the morning, but Tokyo was full of young humans coming out of bars and clubs laughing, some quite drunk as far as Inuyasha could tell.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. If she didn't want him to go with her, it would be best if she told him now, so he could leave for the forest and try again in a month. Kagome sighed, looking away before speaking.

"All right... We'll go together, I'd rather save the taxi money."

The corners of his lips curved upwards and he rested a hand on the small of her back, gently pushing her to start walking. Inuyasha had to hold back a smirk as he saw her blush. If he had felt a little shiver, he couldn't imagine what she, who was fully human, would have felt.

"Let's go," he murmured, heading towards the street across from them.

Kagome was quick to move away from him and Inuyasha pursed his lips when his hand stopped touching the fabric of her black jacket, but he made no comment. She would fall into his trap. It might take longer than he expected, but he knew she wouldn't be able to resist in the end.

"So are you going to the forest now?" Kagome asked, her voice full of curiosity.

"Yes. I'll be out of town for a few weeks, and I want to visit again before I leave," Inuyasha replied, watching for her reaction.

Kagome frowned slightly and averted her gaze again, as if annoyed that he was going somewhere else.

"I see," she mumbled, sighing.

"I'd like to see you again when I return to Tokyo, Kagome," he whispered, leaning closer to her.

Kagome looked up at him, slightly surprised and blushing.

"Of course! I'd like to see you again too, Inuyasha. By the way, that's a funny name you have... Did you know it means dog demon?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and smiling.

Oh, human... if she only knew...

Inuyasha shrugged to play it down, ignoring the small knot that had formed in his stomach at hearing her say his name.

"Keh, I guess my parents had strange tastes," he muttered under his breath.

She laughed and that sound pleased him, causing his body to tense. Kagome had to die, he couldn't forget his goal.

They continued talking until they reached the stone steps he had seen her descend a few hours before, stopping.

"That's my house," she said, pointing to the top of the stairs.

"You live in a temple?"

"Yes, it's been in my family for generations."

Inuyasha shoved his hands into his trousers pockets and clenched his jaw. Dawn was just around the corner.

"Well, Kagome... I'll see you around," he murmured, turning to head into the forest.

"Wait!"

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder. She hadn't moved and her cheeks were flushed.

"Aren't you going to give me your number?" she asked quietly.

He frowned, moving closer to her again.

"Number?" he repeated in confusion.

Kagome pulled something rectangular out of her bag and held it out to him.

"Yes, your phone number... if you don't give it to me, how will we ever see each other again?" she questioned, smiling sheepishly.

Phone?

The thing lit up and Inuyasha realised that it was an object humans used to communicate with each other. He needed to get one before he entered the forest, luckily he still had plenty of money left.

"Mmm... You'd better give me yours," he replied, looking away from the phone and into her brown eyes.

"Where are you going to write it? Don't you have yours with you?"

Inuyasha shook his head and twisted his lips, not knowing what to do.

"Wait... I think I have a pen in here," she added, rummaging inside her handbag.

She pulled out something very similar to the quills Sesshomaru had in his palace and held out one of her hands to him.

"Give me your hand," she asked in a trembling voice.

Inuyasha gave it to her uneasily, not understanding what she intended. Neither of them were ready for the electric tingle that ran through their bodies as their skin touched.

He saw her dissimulate, bringing the pen to his palm and writing numbers.

"There you go. I hope you'll call me," she said, putting it back in her handbag and combing her bangs with her fingers.

"I will," Inuyasha said, nodding in her direction.

He turned again and, after walking a few feet, glanced back and saw that she was still at the foot of the steps. Kagome waved a hand in farewell and he mimicked her, watching as she started up the stairs.

Inuyasha snorted, walking faster. He needed to find an open shop that sold one of those phones and get the hell out of there as soon as possible. He had no trouble finding one, Tokyo was a huge city and there were shops open all the time.

He smiled as he reached the fence in time. After checking that there were no humans nearby, he grabbed hold of it and climbed over, jumping to the other side.

His body was already changing by the time he reached the roots of the tree where he had hidden his things. Inuyasha released his long hair and watched it fall over his shoulders, as white as ever.

He took the phone out of his pocket carefully, trying not to break it with his sharp claws.

The man at the shop had explained how it worked, even saving Kagome's number in the contact list and showing him solar chargers when Inuyasha explained that he wouldn't have access to electricity in the place he was going. He plugged in the phone as the human had taught him and climbed up to the top of the tree, letting the sunlight hit the small solar panel.

He saw a message pop up on the screen immediately, announcing that it was charging.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and scrolled through the menu, following the human's instructions. It didn't take him long to find Kagome's contact, and it was also on the app the man had helped him download, explaining that young people used it to talk to each other.

He hoped he'd put enough money on it, the man told him it would last him at least a month. That was how long it would take him to meet her again, on the next dark night... and, that time, he would get her to accompany him into the forest and end his nightmare at last.

When Kagome awoke, she covered her face with her hands and sighed.

She had been dreaming about Inuyasha all night (or rather all morning, because it was almost six o'clock when she went to bed) and had woken up just as they were about to kiss.

She shook her head and sat up. She still didn't understand what had happened, she had liked him in a strange way as soon as she had seen him. It almost seemed sickening that she could be so attracted to a stranger.

And his voice... his voice sent shivers down her spine.

But the worst had been when he had touched her back. The dress and jacket were between her skin and his hand, but she had still felt something like a flame igniting inside her body.

If she had experienced that... What if Inuyasha caressed her skin directly, with no clothes between? And what if he kissed her?

Then she remembered that she had touched his hand to write down her number, and it was as if an electric burst ran through her.

Kagome sighed, combing her hair with her fingers. It was best not to think about it. Inuyasha was leaving that very day and she wouldn't see him again for weeks, he had told her that before he left.

As she got up and reached her desk, she saw the little light on her phone blinking, a sign that she had new messages. She unlocked it and logged on to Whatsapp, snorting as she saw that she had fifty new messages in her friends' group.

The three of them were asking her questions about Inuyasha. They also wanted to know if he had accompanied her home, and if anything had happened between them. She had three messages from Hojo, asking if she had arrived safely and how she had slept... but what made her heart leap into her throat was the message she had from an unknown number.

Hello, Kagome.

She entered the chat and noticed that they didn't have a picture on.

Inuyasha?

She immediately saw that he was online and answering her.

The one and only.

Kagome smiled, saving his contact. When they said goodbye, she wasn't sure if she would hear from him again.

Are you still in Tokyo?

I'm just leaving.

She twisted her lips. She didn't like not being able to see him again.

When will you be back?

In a month or so. I'll let you know, in case you still want to see me.

Kagome smiled and shook her head, sure that she would be dying to see him when he returned.

Of course I'll want to see you, though this is a little weird. I know we met yesterday, but I feel something strange... like I've known you before.

It's the same for me.

She put a hand to her face and smiled like an idiot. It was hard to believe that this handsome and mysterious guy was talking to her, he probably had dozens of girls pining for him. Maybe he wanted to sleep with her and add her to his list, and then look for the next one.

But then... Why hadn't he suggested it to her last night? He didn't even try to kiss her and barely touched her, only when he pushed her a little to walk beside him.

Kagome had to make it clear to him that, if that was what he was after, he wasn't going to get it with her.

Hey, Inuyasha... I don't know what you want from me, but if you're looking for something quick and easy I'm warning you that I'm not that kind of girl, so you don't waste your time.

It took her a long time to hit send. It seemed too abrupt, but she needed him to know that, so that he would leave her alone if all he was looking for was sex.

I just want to get to know you better and show you that the legends about the Yōkai Forest are children's stories.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head.

Are you serious? I find that hard to believe.

Of course, I told you I've been in there many times... and you're coming with me next time.

Kagome shuddered, sighing. She was still trembling at the thought of the forest and her nightmare... but with Inuyasha by her side, she would surely dare to explore it a little and see if it was all a lie. If he was around, she had a feeling that nothing bad could happen to her.

That's why she let him walk her home, his presence made her feel protected, safe... though she didn't understand why, really.

I had a nightmare in March... I dreamt that I was in the forest and something was attacking me, trying to kill me.

Inuyasha took a long time to answer.

Well, the best way for you to forget it is to see with your own eyes that there is nothing dangerous there.

I'll think about it, I don't know if I'll dare to go next month.

I'll convince you... Besides, we can talk and get to know each other better, so you trust me enough to go with me.

Kagome smiled and heard noises downstairs. Her family was probably preparing lunch.

We'll see... I'm going to eat, we'll talk later.

If I show you something, you promise you won't show it to anyone else?

Kagome frowned, intrigued.

I promise.

Her eyes widened as she saw that Inuyasha had sent her a picture.

Opening it, a small gasp escaped her lips. It was a picture of the Forbidden Forest, she recognised those trees. In Japan, the only ones that were that old were in that forest. It seemed to be daytime, and the sunlight was filtering a little through the leaves, though it was quite dark... just like in her dream, where the moonlight barely penetrated the trees.

Kagome zoomed in and took a better look. Nothing was visible besides the trees and a few plants. Everything looked very wet and wild, as if humans had never been there before.

Yes, it was definitely a picture of the Forest of the Demons.

Her phone vibrated as she received another message from Inuyasha.

Have I piqued your curiosity?

Kagome replied with trembling fingers.

Do you really have pictures of the forest? When did you take them?

I have plenty, but you're not going to see any more for now. I hope you keep your promise and don't show them to anyone, I don't want anyone to know I've been inside.

You can trust me, this stays between us.

You can trust me too, Kagome. Go eat, we can talk more later.

I'll try... later, Inuyasha. And thank you for writing to me, I thought you wouldn't.

And why wouldn't I? You caught my eye last night, I guess you noticed.

Kagome blushed as she answered him.

So did you.

She waited a minute and when she saw that he didn't answer, she put the phone back on the table and left her room, heading downstairs in search of her family.

So did you.

He didn't need her to tell him, Inuyasha had been able to see everything she felt in her eyes.

And, had he been in his normal form as he was now, he could also have smelled what she experienced when she saw him. Fear, excitement, nervousness, anxiety, rage... each emotion had a different scent that dog demons like him could detect, and he was sure that humans gave off those scents as well, certainly more intensely than yōkai.

Inuyasha tied the phone to the belt of his red kimono. He had talked to her enough for the moment, and he didn't want to get too close to this human. His goal was to kill her.

He snorted as he remembered that she had thought what he was looking for was a bit of sex. As if he had such a primal need, let alone because of a stupid human.

He hoped that, having shared a picture of the forest with her, she'd start to trust him more... and hopefully she'd be dead curious by the next dark night and would want to join him.

Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, moving away from the border between their worlds.

When he reached his cave, he held the phone in one hand and looked at it. The screen said it had no signal. Of course, human technology couldn't reach very far from the city. Every time he wanted to talk to Kagome, he would have to go to the border. What a waste of time.

He snorted and set the device down in the corner of the cave, where he kept all the human clothes and food he'd bought from the city. He had spent the morning learning how to operate it and it seemed to be a very useful object. Inuyasha liked the idea of being able to take pictures.

"Hello."

Hearing that voice, Inuyasha pulled the sword out of its sheath. The blade enlarged to three times its size and he spun around, snarling and baring his fangs. His father's sword was magic. It looked like an ordinary sword, even a little rusty, but in his hands it transformed into a much larger and more lethal weapon.

He looked around for the owner of that voice, grimacing as he saw a small demon at the door of the cave. It looked like a human child, but it was not. He had pointy ears, a furry tail sticking out of his trousers, and his legs were fox's paws.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, putting his sword away again.

With his claws he could easily finish him off, that yōkai posed no danger to someone as powerful as Inuyasha. He looked up at him, tears glistening in his green eyes.

"My parents were just murdered. I can smell that you're a half-demon, so surely you don't want to kill me. Can I stay with you?"

"Keh! I'm not a babysitter, brat," Inuyasha mumbled contemptuously, turning around again.

He heard his cry and rolled his eyes as he poured hot water into a bowl full of instant noodles.

Inuyasha muttered a curse under his breath and sat near the fire, watching the fox yōkai out of the corner of his eye. It reminded him too much of himself, all alone and without his parents at such a young age.

"Here," Inuyasha growled, raising the bowl towards him.

The fox came over and, after sniffing what Inuyasha was offering, sat down next to him and began to eat eagerly. Inuyasha opened a packet of noodles and poured it into another bowl, adding hot water.

"Thank you," the little demon said with his mouth full.

He nodded in his direction and began to eat as well.

"My name is Shippo, and yours?" the fox asked, holding the chopsticks in his right hand.

Inuyasha let out a deep sigh. As soon as he finished eating, he would kick him out of his cave.

"Inuyasha."