Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? Um... yeeeees...
(A/N: I keep cracking up at this title, I don't know about you. My mum looked over my shoulder as I wrote it and gave me this weird look and has been avoiding me ever since. @_@;; Anyway, you're probably all eager to see what it's about so I'll get to it.)
Two Faced
Sex and Soap Operas (I'm cracking up!)
The rest of the group was staying in a nearby village in one of the spacious inns. Apparently it was one of the only inns in the Southern territory that made its own ice cream and had satellite television... so no wonder they'd decided to lodge there.
The rest of the team consisted of Shippo, Hojo, Rin, Kikyo... the other airmen and marines that had been working with them had set off to search for Mr Higurashi while the others had stayed behind to continue looking for lost team members like Inuyasha and Kagome.
"So tell us again what happened?" Kikyo asked, watching the pair across the room very closely.
"Well..." Kagome tried to set the story straight. "Inuyasha dropped me off in the forest where I would be out of trouble - and then went back to help you guys out fighting off that big, fat smelling demon thing."
"We led it away from the camp so it wouldn't cause any more damage." Miroku nodded.
"Or more like it chased you and you ran in sheer panic." Inuyasha slanted him a look.
"Well... Inuyasha came back and said that Kenji had been killed and he couldn't follow the others so we started off in search of my father first."
"Really... and nothing else happened?" Kikyo frowned lightly.
"Well... we got attacked in one of the villages." Kagome glanced briefly at Inuyasha to gouge his reaction. "But very little else happened other than that."
"I see." Sango was giving Miroku a triumphant nudge in the ribs.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "As if they'd tell us that they'd been up to something."
Sango just scowled and looked away, before noticing that Inuyasha was giving them a strange look. "You ok, over there?"
He was about to answer when Shippo shushed them. "Would you keep it down? The plot is hard enough to follow as it is!"
Everyone turned back to the Mexican soap that was being shown on the minute television screen by the wall. For a moment they all stared in a stupor before Inuyasha snapped out of it and tapped Kagome's shoulder. "I think they're on to us."
"What?" she whispered back.
"I think they know something bad happened between us..." Inuyasha breathed. "Those two have been whispering all morning since we got back last night."
"Well..." Kagome sighed slightly with defeat. "Is it that obvious?"
"Probably." He sighed as well.
They sat staring at the screen along with everyone else for a moment before an idea suddenly hit Inuyasha. "I know what'll make this all better - why don't we have-"
He suddenly stopped himself from speaking too loud and whispered the last word in her ear. Kagome pulled back quickly and stared at him. "We can't do that!"
"Something wrong?" Miroku was quick to notice the disturbance across the room.
Inuyasha and Kagome quickly shook their heads before turning back to each other. "Well?"
"I'm not sure about that... what about the others?" Kagome whispered.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could name a few things..." Kagome sighed, but this time in acceptance.
Inuyasha quickly pulled her to her feet and they both began backing out the room. "We have to... er... go take a stroll around the block..." Inuyasha made up.
"And then... go help the innkeeper take down her washing." Kagome nodded before they both bolted out the room.
For a moment everyone stared at their absence calmly before Miroku cracked his knuckles and leant back against the wall. "I think I win this bet today."
"No way!" Rin shook her head. "They've probably just gone to the buffet without us downstairs."
"Get with it girl, they're probably up on the roof doing it this very minute." Shippo snorted.
"I say we raise the stakes a little." Miroku offered. "TWO thousand yen say that Inuyasha and Kagome are doing some hanky-panky."
"You're all fools." Kikyo shook her head. "They aren't doing anything."
"Which is why you're going to loose this bet, Kikyo." Hojo told her with a smug grin.
"We'll see." She replied snippily.
They all went back to watching the Mexican soap, half squinting at the subtitles and half just staring at it because there was nothing much else to do while the rest of the team were off searching for Mr Higurashi and his crew.
Suddenly there was a load slam of a door in the next room, followed by muffled giggles... from two rather familiar voices. At once all interest was lost in the soap as the members in that room all looked at one another in speculation.
"This has to be illegal..." they heard Kagome say in a desperately hushed voice.
"Relax, it's only illegal if we get caught." Inuyasha replied.
Sango's mouth dropped. "Oh... my... god..."
"On the bed?" Kagome could be heard asking.
"No - better not get anything sticky on the sheets - then they'd know."
"Oh..."
"On the floor!"
"But that's dirty down there!"
"You know like it down there really, bitch."
Shippo had had to cram a fist into his mouth to keep from laughing while Kikyo just glared rather stoically ahead at nothing. Rin had flushed a very bright pink and Sango was past pink and utterly red. Miroku just had a stupid grin on his face.
"Take it off - quick!" Inuyasha said hurriedly.
Sounds of shuffling on the floor could be heard through the literally paper thin walls and then Kagome's sound of cooing appreciation.
"That looks really... different..."
"What?! It's not different... it's one of a kind, ok?"
"Look... Inuyasha, I'm not sure about this..."
"It tastes great, I swear!"
"Well..."
"Go on... don't fight it... just give in to temptation, ok?"
"But..."
"Just put it in your mouth."
The following sounds were enough to confirm everyone's suspicions.
Sango started having a coughing fit while Miroku was already going around the room collecting the money from the girls and sharing it out to the boys. "Never mess with the master of romance, ladies."
In the other room Inuyasha's ears pricked up. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Kagome asked around her mouth full of home made ice cream.
"I wonder how thick these walls are." Inuyasha said quietly.
"Who cares - do you want some of this?" Kagome held out the tub to him.
He took her spoon and groaned as the zesty lemon ice cream melted in his mouth. Kagome suppressed her laughter. "You know licking the same spoon as me is practically a kiss."
"Hm? - urgh!" he dropped it suddenly and eyed it as if it were something evil.
"Oh now look what you've done - it's all dirty now!" Kagome gasped.
"It was dirty before I dropped it."
"You really know how to sweet talk the ladies don't you?"
"Well... now what do we use to eat this stuff?"
"Our fingers?"
"Together? I am NOT eating ice cream with my fingers with you - that is SO unhygienic!" Inuyasha said rather loudly.
There was a clap as if something had fallen on the floor in the next room and Sango could be heard crowing. "I KNEW it! They aren't having sex!"
Both Inuyasha and Kagome froze together and stared at each other a moment before bursting out into fits of laughter that they had to try very hard to suppress. Kagome had to clamp a hand over her mouth as tears of mirth rose in her eyes, she couldn't believe what she'd just heard!
Inuyasha suddenly got another 'brilliant' idea and leaned over to whisper something else in her ear. At this Kagome broke down into more silent laughter, pressing her face into her hands to try and maintain control.
Everyone in the other room, however, were now all lined up against the wall and listening as hard as they could. "It's all gone very quiet..." Shippo commented.
"Well done, Sango, I think you just gave us away." Miroku muttered.
Kikyo, the only one who hadn't lowered herself to their level stood up and shook her head in disgust. "This is ridiculous." She said quietly and left the room and the others to their bet.
"What do you think they're up to now?" Rin asked quietly.
Suddenly moaning and bed squeaking rose up in the other room and simultaneously they all scooted back several feet.
"They could be doing..." Sango scrambled for an idea. "Aerobics?"
"Yeah, if they're doing aerobics, then I'm a woman." Miroku held out his hand. "Pay up girls."
Sango scoffed and pushed his hand down. "How can you be sure they're actually-"
"Oh! Inuyasha!" the squeaking grew louder. "Don't stop!"
"Oh Kagome!"
"Oh Inuyasha!"
"Oh - buffet downstairs!" Sango grabbed Rin, Hojo and Shippo and started to haul them out of the room. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Miroku and leaned closer. She growled, stomped over, grabbed his ear and stomped out with him in tow. "I think you've proved your point!"
Inuyasha pressed his ear against the wall and grinned. "They ran away."
Kagome finally stopped bouncing up and down on the bed and succumbed to the fits of laughter. "Oh god - I can't believe they bought it!"
"At least now they'll think twice about us fighting." Inuyasha was shaking his head and banging the head board with his fist. "They'll never be able to look at us again!"
Kagome cracked up again and fell against his shoulder. "I'll probably have to explain to Sango... b-but Miroku can stay 'enlightened'!"
Inuyasha's laughter began to die as Kagome shook against his shoulder. He noticed suddenly that she was laughing with him for the first time in ages... that made him feel a lot better. He turned his head to her, opening his mouth to say something, but his voice also died as Kagome chose that exact moment to grin up at him.
Their noses touched and all smiles died as the moment suddenly changed tone from light hearted humour to tension... of a less volatile sort. Kagome's eyes locked with Inuyasha's as the smiled melted from her lips and she look at his own to see that his smile had slipped too. Suddenly she found it very hard to look away from those lips... full... smooth... and moving closer to hers... except she was the one who was moving, not him.
Kagome tilted towards him, and for a moment he thought she was falling and leaned back, but her eyes slid closed as her lips brushed against his. For some reason he didn't feel overly shocked and didn't exactly want to pull away either. He closed his own eyes and turned his head slightly to press against her lips more fully. Kagome's hand reached up to cradle the line of his jaw, the same moment his lips parted.
An electrical jolt that was more pleasurable than painful hit them both, but only Kagome was stricken awake by it. She stiffened suddenly and her eyes suddenly crept open. Inuyasha hadn't noticed her sudden reluctance and kept on kissing her... but she couldn't take it anymore and pulled away sharply.
Inuyasha blinked back into awareness and suddenly realised what they'd just done. "Um..."
Kagome was sliding away and standing up. For a moment she stood, hovering at the end of the bed, looking a little loss for words until she suddenly turned and flew out the room. "I'm sorry!"
Time was still catching up with Inuyasha and for a moment he just sat trying to remember how that kiss had just happened, before realising Kagome was running away, and that wasn't usually the reaction he wanted when he kissed someone. So he quickly took off after her.
"Kagome!" he yelled as she rapidly ran down the stairs, though careful not to trip over.
"Stop following me!" she yelled back, but she sounded more scared than angry at him.
"What the hell are you running away for?!" he growled, skidding around a corner after. "What's gotten into you?!"
"You!" Miroku's disembodied voice called out from behind him.
Inuyasha ignored that comment and kept on running after Kagome, she was faster than he gave her credit for. Ever since her ankle healed she was just the little Cheetah, while he was slowed down due to some heavy injuries.
Kagome couldn't believe what she'd just done. She didn't love him, she didn't trust him, and she had doubts that she could really even forgive him... but she'd kissed him and the moment she had felt that twinge of awareness when he'd kissed her back, all that pain had flooded back as well. Common sense told her not to give him her trust... or anything else so precious... but what had she just done...?
"Kagome - would you stop for one minute?!"
He was directly behind her, and to avoid being caught she turned suddenly, through open one of the side doors and bolted outside into the open air. She gasped audibly as she met an onslaught of rather heavy, cold rain. Wow... she really picked her moments to go for a run...
Inuyasha was fast though and he was quick to catch himself before he over shot the door and ran after her, cursing her stupidity to run right into a rain storm. She had to be the thickest girl on the planet.
He caught up to her before she got too far from the inn and grabbed her elbow to spin her around.
"No - let me go!" Kagome tried to twist away from him. "I told you not to touch me!"
"Bull! That's just an excuse - what's the matter with you?!" he growled.
Kagome dropped her head and refused to look at him, but didn't try to pull away either.
"Stop ignoring me!"
"I'm not ignoring you!" Kagome snapped. "I just... I can't deal with this, ok?!"
"You make no sense!"
"Because you're confusing me!" Kagome looked up at him. The rain making her hair plaster to her cheeks, and making him uncertain whether or not she was crying. "You hate me but you don't! You want to kill me - but you want to save me! You want to help me and destroy me and I don't want that! S-So stop with the - the sweet stuff that you do that makes me... just stop ok?!"
"What?" She really wasn't making any sense.
"I can't... I can't like you..." or more like she could love him... but she wasn't about to go that far and say that. "I can't like you that way... you betrayed me... I can't trust you again..."
That part made more sense, and he felt a pang of guilt that maybe he couldn't fix the damage he'd done. "You can't just kiss me and run away like that."
"Hey - YOU kissed me!"
"No! You kissed ME!"
"Say it however you like - it was a mistake and it won't happen again." She turned and started walking back towards the inn. Inuyasha quickly blocked her way.
"What if it does?"
"If it does than you will be sure to know I have gone insane." She had to raise her voice above the clapping of the rain on the world around them. Kagome really wished he would move because she was soaking and cold by now... and if he couldn't tell, she was shivering.
"Kagome! I'm sorry!" he burst out. "I can't say that enough can I?! I never meant to hurt you... well... I did... but that was before I knew you!"
"So?!" Kagome stamped a foot in the wet mud. "That just proves my point! You hate who I am and what I am! You only like me as a person! How do I know you won't end up killing me?! How do I know that this isn't some kind of trick to get me to lower my guard! I won't be fooled twice - because then it will be my fault remember?"
"You're a fool if you believe that I hate you!" he snapped. "I never once hid my feelings about you! And that's a promise!"
"Your promises mean nothing to me! You broke them more times than you said them! I can't trust you - I'm sorry." She tried to leave again but he blocked her again. "Get out of my way!"
"The way I acted around you! The things I said to you weren't a lie! I swear on my parent's graves! I wanted revenge back then because they died... but being around you has made me see that I don't have to do that!"
"Oh right! Being around me has enlightened your ethics!" She rolled her eyes. "Bite me and pull the other leg! I don't care! Just leave me alone!"
"Why can't you accept my apology! You said you'd forgive me!"
"But I told you I wouldn't forget!" she snapped throwing her arms out. "Look at me! I'm not a country girl! I'm not special! I'm just me! And I want to go home! I want to see my dad and because of you I might never get round to doing either! I won't forget that!"
"Just listen to me-!"
"I know what you want to say and I understand where you're coming from! I empathise! I really do!" she shook her head and tried to walk away yet again. "But I won't trust you again."
He grabbed her forearm somewhat hard and turned her back around. "Tell me why not."
"I've already told you!"
"No - tell me the real reason."
Kagome stared at him. He wanted the truth... and she wanted to give it in a way. Slowly she set her mouth in a grim line and made sure she didn't lose eye contact with him. She wanted him to know she was serious.
"You broke my heart when you abandoned me... I trusted you and you spat it in my face... please... don't make me put myself into the same position again... I don't think I could..." she broke off and looked away. "Please...?"
For a while nothing was said and Kagome didn't dare raise her head to see his reaction, but she could feel his grip loosening on her arm.
"Hey, over there!" a voice called out through the rain.
Kagome and Inuyasha both looked up and peered through the heavy rain to the road leading into the village. From their distance they could vaguely see a group of people coming towards them. For a moment they were non-plussed, until one of the figures at the head of the group waved.
Kagome's mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. "Daddy..." she whispered breathlessly. Inuyasha was quick to release her then.
"Kagome!" the man yelled and soon she recognised the men around him were dressed in military fatigues.
"Dad!" Kagome broke into a run at once, tears running down her cheeks and mixing with the rain droplets.
He stopped and held his arms out to catch her, when she threw herself so hard into his embrace that they almost toppled over. They twirled for a moment before settling down and holding each other tight, Kagome crying and scolding about how worried she'd been.
Inuyasha sighed and slowly turned around to go back inside, passing Miroku and Sango who had just emerged from the inn. He could wait to have his turn with Kagome later...
(A/N: next chapter... unsure of the title yet so hang on!)
(A/N: I keep cracking up at this title, I don't know about you. My mum looked over my shoulder as I wrote it and gave me this weird look and has been avoiding me ever since. @_@;; Anyway, you're probably all eager to see what it's about so I'll get to it.)
Two Faced
Sex and Soap Operas (I'm cracking up!)
The rest of the group was staying in a nearby village in one of the spacious inns. Apparently it was one of the only inns in the Southern territory that made its own ice cream and had satellite television... so no wonder they'd decided to lodge there.
The rest of the team consisted of Shippo, Hojo, Rin, Kikyo... the other airmen and marines that had been working with them had set off to search for Mr Higurashi while the others had stayed behind to continue looking for lost team members like Inuyasha and Kagome.
"So tell us again what happened?" Kikyo asked, watching the pair across the room very closely.
"Well..." Kagome tried to set the story straight. "Inuyasha dropped me off in the forest where I would be out of trouble - and then went back to help you guys out fighting off that big, fat smelling demon thing."
"We led it away from the camp so it wouldn't cause any more damage." Miroku nodded.
"Or more like it chased you and you ran in sheer panic." Inuyasha slanted him a look.
"Well... Inuyasha came back and said that Kenji had been killed and he couldn't follow the others so we started off in search of my father first."
"Really... and nothing else happened?" Kikyo frowned lightly.
"Well... we got attacked in one of the villages." Kagome glanced briefly at Inuyasha to gouge his reaction. "But very little else happened other than that."
"I see." Sango was giving Miroku a triumphant nudge in the ribs.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "As if they'd tell us that they'd been up to something."
Sango just scowled and looked away, before noticing that Inuyasha was giving them a strange look. "You ok, over there?"
He was about to answer when Shippo shushed them. "Would you keep it down? The plot is hard enough to follow as it is!"
Everyone turned back to the Mexican soap that was being shown on the minute television screen by the wall. For a moment they all stared in a stupor before Inuyasha snapped out of it and tapped Kagome's shoulder. "I think they're on to us."
"What?" she whispered back.
"I think they know something bad happened between us..." Inuyasha breathed. "Those two have been whispering all morning since we got back last night."
"Well..." Kagome sighed slightly with defeat. "Is it that obvious?"
"Probably." He sighed as well.
They sat staring at the screen along with everyone else for a moment before an idea suddenly hit Inuyasha. "I know what'll make this all better - why don't we have-"
He suddenly stopped himself from speaking too loud and whispered the last word in her ear. Kagome pulled back quickly and stared at him. "We can't do that!"
"Something wrong?" Miroku was quick to notice the disturbance across the room.
Inuyasha and Kagome quickly shook their heads before turning back to each other. "Well?"
"I'm not sure about that... what about the others?" Kagome whispered.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could name a few things..." Kagome sighed, but this time in acceptance.
Inuyasha quickly pulled her to her feet and they both began backing out the room. "We have to... er... go take a stroll around the block..." Inuyasha made up.
"And then... go help the innkeeper take down her washing." Kagome nodded before they both bolted out the room.
For a moment everyone stared at their absence calmly before Miroku cracked his knuckles and leant back against the wall. "I think I win this bet today."
"No way!" Rin shook her head. "They've probably just gone to the buffet without us downstairs."
"Get with it girl, they're probably up on the roof doing it this very minute." Shippo snorted.
"I say we raise the stakes a little." Miroku offered. "TWO thousand yen say that Inuyasha and Kagome are doing some hanky-panky."
"You're all fools." Kikyo shook her head. "They aren't doing anything."
"Which is why you're going to loose this bet, Kikyo." Hojo told her with a smug grin.
"We'll see." She replied snippily.
They all went back to watching the Mexican soap, half squinting at the subtitles and half just staring at it because there was nothing much else to do while the rest of the team were off searching for Mr Higurashi and his crew.
Suddenly there was a load slam of a door in the next room, followed by muffled giggles... from two rather familiar voices. At once all interest was lost in the soap as the members in that room all looked at one another in speculation.
"This has to be illegal..." they heard Kagome say in a desperately hushed voice.
"Relax, it's only illegal if we get caught." Inuyasha replied.
Sango's mouth dropped. "Oh... my... god..."
"On the bed?" Kagome could be heard asking.
"No - better not get anything sticky on the sheets - then they'd know."
"Oh..."
"On the floor!"
"But that's dirty down there!"
"You know like it down there really, bitch."
Shippo had had to cram a fist into his mouth to keep from laughing while Kikyo just glared rather stoically ahead at nothing. Rin had flushed a very bright pink and Sango was past pink and utterly red. Miroku just had a stupid grin on his face.
"Take it off - quick!" Inuyasha said hurriedly.
Sounds of shuffling on the floor could be heard through the literally paper thin walls and then Kagome's sound of cooing appreciation.
"That looks really... different..."
"What?! It's not different... it's one of a kind, ok?"
"Look... Inuyasha, I'm not sure about this..."
"It tastes great, I swear!"
"Well..."
"Go on... don't fight it... just give in to temptation, ok?"
"But..."
"Just put it in your mouth."
The following sounds were enough to confirm everyone's suspicions.
Sango started having a coughing fit while Miroku was already going around the room collecting the money from the girls and sharing it out to the boys. "Never mess with the master of romance, ladies."
In the other room Inuyasha's ears pricked up. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Kagome asked around her mouth full of home made ice cream.
"I wonder how thick these walls are." Inuyasha said quietly.
"Who cares - do you want some of this?" Kagome held out the tub to him.
He took her spoon and groaned as the zesty lemon ice cream melted in his mouth. Kagome suppressed her laughter. "You know licking the same spoon as me is practically a kiss."
"Hm? - urgh!" he dropped it suddenly and eyed it as if it were something evil.
"Oh now look what you've done - it's all dirty now!" Kagome gasped.
"It was dirty before I dropped it."
"You really know how to sweet talk the ladies don't you?"
"Well... now what do we use to eat this stuff?"
"Our fingers?"
"Together? I am NOT eating ice cream with my fingers with you - that is SO unhygienic!" Inuyasha said rather loudly.
There was a clap as if something had fallen on the floor in the next room and Sango could be heard crowing. "I KNEW it! They aren't having sex!"
Both Inuyasha and Kagome froze together and stared at each other a moment before bursting out into fits of laughter that they had to try very hard to suppress. Kagome had to clamp a hand over her mouth as tears of mirth rose in her eyes, she couldn't believe what she'd just heard!
Inuyasha suddenly got another 'brilliant' idea and leaned over to whisper something else in her ear. At this Kagome broke down into more silent laughter, pressing her face into her hands to try and maintain control.
Everyone in the other room, however, were now all lined up against the wall and listening as hard as they could. "It's all gone very quiet..." Shippo commented.
"Well done, Sango, I think you just gave us away." Miroku muttered.
Kikyo, the only one who hadn't lowered herself to their level stood up and shook her head in disgust. "This is ridiculous." She said quietly and left the room and the others to their bet.
"What do you think they're up to now?" Rin asked quietly.
Suddenly moaning and bed squeaking rose up in the other room and simultaneously they all scooted back several feet.
"They could be doing..." Sango scrambled for an idea. "Aerobics?"
"Yeah, if they're doing aerobics, then I'm a woman." Miroku held out his hand. "Pay up girls."
Sango scoffed and pushed his hand down. "How can you be sure they're actually-"
"Oh! Inuyasha!" the squeaking grew louder. "Don't stop!"
"Oh Kagome!"
"Oh Inuyasha!"
"Oh - buffet downstairs!" Sango grabbed Rin, Hojo and Shippo and started to haul them out of the room. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Miroku and leaned closer. She growled, stomped over, grabbed his ear and stomped out with him in tow. "I think you've proved your point!"
Inuyasha pressed his ear against the wall and grinned. "They ran away."
Kagome finally stopped bouncing up and down on the bed and succumbed to the fits of laughter. "Oh god - I can't believe they bought it!"
"At least now they'll think twice about us fighting." Inuyasha was shaking his head and banging the head board with his fist. "They'll never be able to look at us again!"
Kagome cracked up again and fell against his shoulder. "I'll probably have to explain to Sango... b-but Miroku can stay 'enlightened'!"
Inuyasha's laughter began to die as Kagome shook against his shoulder. He noticed suddenly that she was laughing with him for the first time in ages... that made him feel a lot better. He turned his head to her, opening his mouth to say something, but his voice also died as Kagome chose that exact moment to grin up at him.
Their noses touched and all smiles died as the moment suddenly changed tone from light hearted humour to tension... of a less volatile sort. Kagome's eyes locked with Inuyasha's as the smiled melted from her lips and she look at his own to see that his smile had slipped too. Suddenly she found it very hard to look away from those lips... full... smooth... and moving closer to hers... except she was the one who was moving, not him.
Kagome tilted towards him, and for a moment he thought she was falling and leaned back, but her eyes slid closed as her lips brushed against his. For some reason he didn't feel overly shocked and didn't exactly want to pull away either. He closed his own eyes and turned his head slightly to press against her lips more fully. Kagome's hand reached up to cradle the line of his jaw, the same moment his lips parted.
An electrical jolt that was more pleasurable than painful hit them both, but only Kagome was stricken awake by it. She stiffened suddenly and her eyes suddenly crept open. Inuyasha hadn't noticed her sudden reluctance and kept on kissing her... but she couldn't take it anymore and pulled away sharply.
Inuyasha blinked back into awareness and suddenly realised what they'd just done. "Um..."
Kagome was sliding away and standing up. For a moment she stood, hovering at the end of the bed, looking a little loss for words until she suddenly turned and flew out the room. "I'm sorry!"
Time was still catching up with Inuyasha and for a moment he just sat trying to remember how that kiss had just happened, before realising Kagome was running away, and that wasn't usually the reaction he wanted when he kissed someone. So he quickly took off after her.
"Kagome!" he yelled as she rapidly ran down the stairs, though careful not to trip over.
"Stop following me!" she yelled back, but she sounded more scared than angry at him.
"What the hell are you running away for?!" he growled, skidding around a corner after. "What's gotten into you?!"
"You!" Miroku's disembodied voice called out from behind him.
Inuyasha ignored that comment and kept on running after Kagome, she was faster than he gave her credit for. Ever since her ankle healed she was just the little Cheetah, while he was slowed down due to some heavy injuries.
Kagome couldn't believe what she'd just done. She didn't love him, she didn't trust him, and she had doubts that she could really even forgive him... but she'd kissed him and the moment she had felt that twinge of awareness when he'd kissed her back, all that pain had flooded back as well. Common sense told her not to give him her trust... or anything else so precious... but what had she just done...?
"Kagome - would you stop for one minute?!"
He was directly behind her, and to avoid being caught she turned suddenly, through open one of the side doors and bolted outside into the open air. She gasped audibly as she met an onslaught of rather heavy, cold rain. Wow... she really picked her moments to go for a run...
Inuyasha was fast though and he was quick to catch himself before he over shot the door and ran after her, cursing her stupidity to run right into a rain storm. She had to be the thickest girl on the planet.
He caught up to her before she got too far from the inn and grabbed her elbow to spin her around.
"No - let me go!" Kagome tried to twist away from him. "I told you not to touch me!"
"Bull! That's just an excuse - what's the matter with you?!" he growled.
Kagome dropped her head and refused to look at him, but didn't try to pull away either.
"Stop ignoring me!"
"I'm not ignoring you!" Kagome snapped. "I just... I can't deal with this, ok?!"
"You make no sense!"
"Because you're confusing me!" Kagome looked up at him. The rain making her hair plaster to her cheeks, and making him uncertain whether or not she was crying. "You hate me but you don't! You want to kill me - but you want to save me! You want to help me and destroy me and I don't want that! S-So stop with the - the sweet stuff that you do that makes me... just stop ok?!"
"What?" She really wasn't making any sense.
"I can't... I can't like you..." or more like she could love him... but she wasn't about to go that far and say that. "I can't like you that way... you betrayed me... I can't trust you again..."
That part made more sense, and he felt a pang of guilt that maybe he couldn't fix the damage he'd done. "You can't just kiss me and run away like that."
"Hey - YOU kissed me!"
"No! You kissed ME!"
"Say it however you like - it was a mistake and it won't happen again." She turned and started walking back towards the inn. Inuyasha quickly blocked her way.
"What if it does?"
"If it does than you will be sure to know I have gone insane." She had to raise her voice above the clapping of the rain on the world around them. Kagome really wished he would move because she was soaking and cold by now... and if he couldn't tell, she was shivering.
"Kagome! I'm sorry!" he burst out. "I can't say that enough can I?! I never meant to hurt you... well... I did... but that was before I knew you!"
"So?!" Kagome stamped a foot in the wet mud. "That just proves my point! You hate who I am and what I am! You only like me as a person! How do I know you won't end up killing me?! How do I know that this isn't some kind of trick to get me to lower my guard! I won't be fooled twice - because then it will be my fault remember?"
"You're a fool if you believe that I hate you!" he snapped. "I never once hid my feelings about you! And that's a promise!"
"Your promises mean nothing to me! You broke them more times than you said them! I can't trust you - I'm sorry." She tried to leave again but he blocked her again. "Get out of my way!"
"The way I acted around you! The things I said to you weren't a lie! I swear on my parent's graves! I wanted revenge back then because they died... but being around you has made me see that I don't have to do that!"
"Oh right! Being around me has enlightened your ethics!" She rolled her eyes. "Bite me and pull the other leg! I don't care! Just leave me alone!"
"Why can't you accept my apology! You said you'd forgive me!"
"But I told you I wouldn't forget!" she snapped throwing her arms out. "Look at me! I'm not a country girl! I'm not special! I'm just me! And I want to go home! I want to see my dad and because of you I might never get round to doing either! I won't forget that!"
"Just listen to me-!"
"I know what you want to say and I understand where you're coming from! I empathise! I really do!" she shook her head and tried to walk away yet again. "But I won't trust you again."
He grabbed her forearm somewhat hard and turned her back around. "Tell me why not."
"I've already told you!"
"No - tell me the real reason."
Kagome stared at him. He wanted the truth... and she wanted to give it in a way. Slowly she set her mouth in a grim line and made sure she didn't lose eye contact with him. She wanted him to know she was serious.
"You broke my heart when you abandoned me... I trusted you and you spat it in my face... please... don't make me put myself into the same position again... I don't think I could..." she broke off and looked away. "Please...?"
For a while nothing was said and Kagome didn't dare raise her head to see his reaction, but she could feel his grip loosening on her arm.
"Hey, over there!" a voice called out through the rain.
Kagome and Inuyasha both looked up and peered through the heavy rain to the road leading into the village. From their distance they could vaguely see a group of people coming towards them. For a moment they were non-plussed, until one of the figures at the head of the group waved.
Kagome's mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. "Daddy..." she whispered breathlessly. Inuyasha was quick to release her then.
"Kagome!" the man yelled and soon she recognised the men around him were dressed in military fatigues.
"Dad!" Kagome broke into a run at once, tears running down her cheeks and mixing with the rain droplets.
He stopped and held his arms out to catch her, when she threw herself so hard into his embrace that they almost toppled over. They twirled for a moment before settling down and holding each other tight, Kagome crying and scolding about how worried she'd been.
Inuyasha sighed and slowly turned around to go back inside, passing Miroku and Sango who had just emerged from the inn. He could wait to have his turn with Kagome later...
(A/N: next chapter... unsure of the title yet so hang on!)