AN: I went and got long winded. O.o Anyway, I'm glad you are all enjoying the story.

An Inuyasha Story

Chapter 7

I was pleasantly surprised when Inuyasha offered to help us out. He was very…different. Not at all like the monster that I had been raised to believe haunted the woods over the river. He had an attitude about everything and kept giving me looks like he didn't trust me. I guess if I had been treated like a monster all my life, I would be the same way. Even though he regularly insulted me through out the day, telling me I was a weak pathetic human and calling me wench and bitch, I had a feeling it was just a show. One because he always helped me any way and two, I kept catching him looking at me. He always turned away with a blush on his cheeks and would insult me. He was cute when he blushed…hell he was cute anyway. Though I must admit he kind of scared me when he cut up the firewood with his claws. I made us Ramen for dinner. Inuyasha really seemed to like it. He ate three bowls.

I was cleaning up the dishes when it happened. Inuyasha was sitting by the hearth lost in thought and Souta was playing on the floor with our fat, lazy cat. Outside there was the sound of approaching horses and carriage wheels. I looked up to see a blue and gold carriage pulled by four white horses came to stop. I groaned as I dried my hands. The boys looked up at me, Inuyasha quizzically and Souta sympathetically.

"It's him again isn't it?" Souta asked frowning down at the floor.

"Looks that way." I replied with a sigh.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked.

"Kouga." Souta replied dryly, "He's been looking to marry my sister for some time now." Inuyasha scowled. I almost swore I saw a flicker of…jealousy?

"Feh! If you're not interested then tell him no." He said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. I smiled at him. He blushed.

"If I had a shilling for every time I told him that, then Souta and I would be much better off." I laughed softly. His scowl deepened, but he said nothing. Boy he was cute. The sudden and sharp rap at the door called my attention away from the silver haired boy. I sighed and moved to the door. I could feel Inuyasha's eyes on me, somehow I felt safer. I opened the door.

"Hello Lord Kouga." I said, with a smile to the man on the other side. The smile was faked, but he missed it.

"Lady Kagome." He said brightly stepping into the house and kissing my hand. I felt an involuntary blush flare in my cheeks. "It is such a pleasure to be in your presence again."

"Umm… the same to you Lord Kouga." I said taking back my hand. I was getting that familiar uncomfortable feeling Kouga always gave me. He gave me a big smile. I wanted to gag.

"And young Souta, how are you?" He asked beaming down at my little brother in away that should have been friendly, through it made me uneasy.

"I'm good Lord Kouga." He replied with fake interest, again Kouga missed it. That's when Kouga's eyes fell on Inuyasha, who at some point had stood up. The room filled with a rather uncomfortable silence as the two stared at each other, neither wanting to be the first to blink or speak.

"And who might you be?" Kouga asked in a not so friendly way.

"What's it to a bastard like you?" Inuyasha replied hotly. Kouga scowled deeply.

"Hold your tongue!" The wolf king snapped, "I am the ruler of this land and can have you hung if I so choose."

"Feh! Been there, done that." Inuyasha replied. I felt really uneasy now. Having a demon melee in my house would defiantly be bad. I placed my hand on Kouga's arm to draw his attention back to me.

"Inuyasha is a friend of mine. He was just helping me with some things around the farm today." Inuyasha's face flashed with surprise before returning to its hard stare. Kouga grabbed my hand and kissed it again.

"Why Lady Kagome, if you needed such things you should have asked. I would have been happy to send you some of my servants or…" his voice turned rather seductive here, "I could have come my self to help with any…needs you might have." I think I heard a growl behind me. Now I really wanted my hand back. I pulled but his grip remained firm as he went down on one knee. Not again! What part of NO did he not understand? "Lady Kagome I would be honored if you would be my wife."

"Kouga, I told you. I'm not ready to get married yet," he was about to say something so I added, "To you or any one." He frowned and stood up.

"Why not." He almost whined still not releasing my hand.

"I have to take care of Souta." Kouga gave my brother another look that made me uncomfortable.

"He's old enough to take care of himself." Kouga pouted.

"He's only twelve years old." I said dryly and finally succeeding in regaining my hand. He sighed and fixed me with another loving gaze.

"So be it Lady Kagome. You are worth the wait." He kissed my hand again. Ahhhh! How did he keep getting hold of it like that? He gave Inuyasha a parting death glare before turning to leave. I closed the door behind him before leaning my forehead against it and sighing.

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I stood as Kagome moved to answer the door. I didn't know who Kouga was, but he made Kagome uncomfortable. Not that I could blame her, the guy couldn't take no for an answer. She opened the door to reveal a wolf demon in human form. With out hesitation or invitation he stepped inside grabbed Kagome's hand and kissed it. I felt a growl rise in my throat. Who did this guy think he was? Kagome is mine…What the hell?! Screw it! He's making her uncomfortable, and why is he looking a Souta like that?

"And who might you be?" Kouga snapped as our eye met. He took a dominating posture and I did as well. The two humans missed the subtly of the movements.

"What's it to a bastard like you?" I ground back. I saw his eyes narrow and his posture stiffen, he was trying to intimidate me. Feh! As if I would back down to such a wimpy wolf.

"Hold your tongue!" Wolf boy snapped now trying to make himself look as big as possible, "I am the ruler of this land and can have you hung if I so choose."

"Feh! Been there, done that." I snorted in response. The air around us grew tense, each waiting for the other to make the first move. It was Kagome, however, that moved first. She lay a hand on Kouga's arm.

"Inuyasha is a friend of mine. He was just helping me with some things around the farm today." Friend? Did she just call me her friend? I've never had a friend. Kouga latched on to Kagome's hand again and I gave another low growl.

"Why Lady Kagome, if you needed such things you should have asked. I would have been happy to send you some of my servants or…" His voice turned lustful and I had the sudden urge to rip his throat out, "I could have come my self to help with any…needs you might have." I audibly growled that time, Souta looked at me, the cat ran from the room, even Kagome seemed to pick up on it. Kouga cast me a side long mocking look before continuing. He fell to one knee, "Lady Kagome I would be honored if you would be my wife." For a split second I thought she would accept and it scared me.

"Kouga, I told you. I'm not ready to get married yet," he gave a low growl of frustration only I could hear and I couldn't help but smirk, "To you or any one." He frowned and stood up.

"Why not." He whined, I gave him the mocking look now. He glared back.

"I have to take care of Souta." Kagome pleaded, Kouga gave Souta another look that was definitely threatening.

"He's old enough to take care of himself." Kouga pouted. Stupid wolf.

"He's only twelve years old." Kagome said in exasperation. I could tell this wasn't the first time they had had this conversation. He turned and fixed her with another gaze that made her uncomfortable.

"So be it Lady Kagome. You are worth the wait." He kissed my hand again and left. The tension in the room thinned slowly as we listened to the sound of Kouga's retreat.

I watched Kagome lean her forehead against the door and sigh. I didn't have to ask to know what she was thinking. Souta was growing up and fast. In two or three years he would be a man in societies eyes and she would no longer have an excuse. She didn't want to marry that guy, not now or ever. I suddenly had the feeling to wrap my arms around her and tell her I would protect her. I pushed the feeling away. We stood in silence until the sounds of the carriage faded into the distance.

"Hey Kagome," Souta said softly, "I'll finish the dishes, why don't you go make some pottery?" I saw her hand go to her eyes and she nodded. Was she crying? I tested the air. Salty. Crap.

"Thanks Souta." She said and opened the door to leave.

"Can I watch?" I asked. Why, I have no idea. I felt heat rise to my face. "I've never seen pottery made before." She looked over her shoulder at me with a warm smile, I think she liked my company. Souta smiled too, but focused on the sink.

I followed Kagome out to a small building with a chimney near the barn. Once inside Kagome started a fire in the large stone fireplace. I leaned against the wall to watch. Soon the fire was blazing the room became very warm. She moved to a large bucket of water and reached inside. He brought out a large lump of clay and took it to a small table in the middle of the room. She sat down in a chair and began to pump a pedal under the table. A small round part of the table with the lump on it began to spin. I watched Kagome, with the fire blazing behind her, as her delicate finger worked the clay from a lump into an elegant vase. I could still hear her voice in my head, "Inuyasha is a friend of mine." A friend? I smiled inwardly, I liked the sound of that.