**AN: Hey. Another chapter. Thanks for those who are still reading. I hope you're enjoying the story. Sorry for a delay on the update. I just wanted to make sure it was good to go. You know, proof reading and stuff. Anywho, please let me know what you think. I enjoyed writing this chapter. Oooh! And I've been playing the "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale". That game is great. I love it! Just thought I'd throw that in there. Oh and if I manage to post another story, before updating this one. Sorry. These ideas just come to me. Anyway, please let me know what you think. Okay I'm done.**
The sun's rays had just shooed the night's darkness away as it rose from behind the mountains. The light sounds of birds chirping and the sounds of forest creatures moving through a nearby brush could be heard. Some of the village farmers had already awaken from their night's sleep, to began their long day's work. Although, most of the activity had begun near sunrise some did their work all through the night; not getting a wink of sleep.
Inuyasha sat up all night. He thought about the events that lead up to where they both were. His mind brought back the moment when he had seen her fall. It then traveled to a time when they shared a campfire; just the two of them. He sighed as his mind showed him the memory of her trying to breathe through the pain. Then falling silent. That thought brought him to the night before when they were yelling at each other. Before, by the fire, he had almost lost her, forever. Then last night…
"…I have no plans of following you this time!"
He snorted at her decision, 'Good. Just stay there.'
The half demon sat quietly in his tree staring out. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He could still see the anger on her face. He had seen her like that many times before. And the way she slapped him. He was confused by that. Sure she had hit him for looking in on her while she bathed. But this time when she struck him, the force was much stronger. Had she been that upset? Or is it possible…
"How is she feeling?" Kaede's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Hmph," he grumbled. "Who?"
"You know whom I speak of," she looked up at him. "You went to see her last night."
"And you've been staring at the well all night," Miroku joined the old woman at the base of the tree.
Inuyasha didn't bother to look down, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"How is Kagome?" The old miko looked out to the well.
"Who cares?" He crossed his arms.
"Did you upset her?" Mirkou asked, calmly.
"What makes you think it was my fault?" The half demon growled.
"Inuyasha," Kaede spoke in a scolding tone. "Why did you upset her? She doesn't need any added stress. She needs rest to recover."
"She's the one who slapped me," he rubbed his cheek. "I'd say she's recovered."
"And?" The old woman continued.
"What?" He retorted. "She's always mad about something. She's fine."
"But-" Kaede tried.
"But what?" He jumped down from his tree. "Why should we worry about her? She said she's not coming back again anyway!"
The monk raised an eyebrow at the hot headed dog demon, "Again?"
The white haired half human mumbled something under his breath and walked off. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it. The two didn't push him any further. From the little details he had given them and his behavior, which was common, Kagome was doing just fine. They didn't worry about her not coming back. She had said it many times before. It never held true. She'd be back.
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The feeling of weightlessness began to diminish as she could feel her body growing heavy. The dark that once surrounded her lost its emptiness, for a bright light began to soak up its presence. With each short breath she took in, the light grew stronger. Though the darkness seeped away, her surroundings were unclear. She knew there was something there, but the veil that shrouded her eyes withheld its distinction.
She blinked her eyes slowly. Soon, the shroud had been lifted and several objects came into view. She could see a few books, a pair of shoes and a few pencils tucked in the shadows, beneath a large rectangular object above her head. Her cheek felt cool against a smooth, but firm surface.
She didn't move her body. Her eyes scanned the area. It took her mind a moment to catch up. She was still on the floor of her bedroom. She hadn't moved since she had fainted the previous night. All she remembered was seeing the room spin. But before that he had been in her room. They had been arguing. Then she was angry; more than she had been before.
Just then she felt a small pain in her lower back. It started like a spark. It sent tremors all through her body. Her arms, legs, fingers and toes tighten at the sudden rush. It ended with an explosion in the pit of her stomach. The scent of copper and rotting leaves flooded her nose and mouth.
Kagome jumped up from where she was laying and ran to the bathroom. The only thing she saw, when she flung the door open, was the toilet. As soon as the lid flipped up, her eye lids shut and what was once inside her was now a part of the water in the bowl.
Her stomach twisted in many directions. The muscles contracted, ushering the unwanted and unwelcome substance upwards. The more the muscles tightened, the more painful it became. Her chest felt like it was going to explode. The stress on her stomach felt like it was going to rip apart. Every time the pressure within her released itself, it sent a wave of the same foul odor, only it was much stronger than before. The scent lingered, causing a repeat of the whole process. She didn't know how much longer she could take it.
Still, she couldn't get herself to stop. Her eyes remained shut, though a few tear drops seeped through her tight slits. A force pushed her onward. There was something in her that her insides didn't want. Her body was rejecting something.
After what felt like hours, she finally stopped, taking heavy, labored breaths. She was exhausted. She moved away from the toilet and propped herself against the bathroom wall. She could almost hear her skin sizzle at the touch of the cold wall. She wasn't aware that her body had grown incredibly hot. She glanced at her wavering arm to see sweat droplets rolling down onto the floor.
Though she was weary, she pushed herself up from the wall, then stood up. She took a step to the toilet to flush it. She was surprised when she glanced into it. The water was practically clear, except for several black spots.
'What?' She stared in confusion. 'That's all. It felt like I was ready to cough up a lung.'
She pressed the lever and watched as the water spun. Its quick motion mixed the contents, displaying the true colors of the spots. Red.
'Blood?' She asked herself, scared.
Kagome closed the lid and walked over to the sink. She turned on the faucet and let the cold water run a moment. The girl stared at her teenage self, over in the mirror. The silky soft texture of her skin was somewhat pale and the red shade around her brown eyes, made her look tired and worn. The roots of her black hair were drenched with sweat.
She took a deep breath and cupped some cold water in her trembling hands. She threw the water over her face, rubbing her face continuously. The retched smell of the unpleasant event was still lingering in her nose and her mouth. It nearly made her reach for the toilet once more. With that, she quickly drew herself a bath.
She scrubbed skin ferociously with a bar of soap, cleansing her skin of the odor. After nearly, tearing her tissue soft skin, the young girl hopped out of her now cold bath. She wrapped as towel around her frame and walked back to her room.
Upon walking into her room, she took notice to her window. It was closed. She remembered hearing him complain about undressing with the window open. She rolled her and walked over to her closet.
While she changed, she heard the front door open. She listened carefully, to the sounds of familiar voices. Her family had returned from their trip. They called out to her, announcing their already known presence.
Kagome remained quiet. She walked over to the window and opened it up again. She inhaled the warm air, studying the activity outside. The sun had already passed its high point. She assumed that it was mid afternoon.
'How long was I out?' She asked herself. 'Did I miss a whole day of school?'
She reached over to her dresser for a brush, then took a seat on the windowsill and began to gently run the bristles through her long hair. With each stroke, the deeper her thoughts moved. Soon her mind found itself at the previous night. She tried think of just what had happened right before she fainted.
'I remember the room spinning,' the voice inside her spoke. 'Then, everything went black. I remember the darkness.'
She paused on that notion, then continued, 'I've been talking about this darkness. What surrounds this darkness? Why is it so familiar? There's something about it. I know, I know what it is, but I can't seem to put my finger on it.'
'I need to write this down,' she glanced at her nightstand. 'Maybe if I write it down, I can come up with some clues. Then maybe I can figure out just why I've been having these spells.'
It was at that moment, when Kagome's bedroom door flung wide open. She jerked her head towards the door. An excited, young boy with dark brown hair and a smile on his face came running at her.
"Sis!" He held out his arms.
Kagome leapt off the windowsill and away from him, "Souta!"
The little boy stopped in his tracks. He was surprised with her reaction. He looked at her confused. She appeared to be standing in a defensive position, ready to attack.
He took a step back, "Ka-Kagome?"
"What are you doing?!" She snapped at him. "Don't you know how to knock?!"
"Sorry," he didn't move. "I didn't mean-"
"Knock next time!" She sneered at him.
His face was filled with fear, "Uh, sorry."
"Kagome?" A woman's gentle voice broke the tension in her room. "Kagome."
Kagome didn't take her eyes off her little brother, "Yeah? What?"
"What's going on in here?" She looked at both her children.
"Mom," she pointed to Souta. "He just burst in my room without knocking."
"There's no need to yell," she remained calm. "It was an accident. He didn't mean any harm." The young boy retreated to the arms of his mother, as she went on, "He's just excited to see you."
She shook her head and sighed, "I'm sorry Souta. I didn't mean to yell at you."
The boy didn't respond. He just stared at her, before fleeing the room.
Kagome shook her head once more, "Sorry."
Her mom walked over to her, "He'll be all right." She put her arms around her daughter, "How are you? We missed you."
"I missed you too," she hugged her mom. "How's everyone?"
"They're good," she held onto her. "They asked about you. I told them you were ill and you'd make it next trip."
She let go and smiled, "Thanks Mom."
Just then, Kagome heard a thumping sound, coming from downstairs, "I think someone is here."
"What makes you say that?" She looked at her puzzled.
"I heard someone knocking at the front door."
"Wow. I didn't even hear it. I'll go answer it."
Kagome followed her mom to her own door and shut it after her. She inhaled deeply. Her nose picked up the light scent of musk, 'Inuyasha.'
She turned back to the open window. She was going to collect her thoughts once more, but stopped when her mom called out to her again. Apparently the person at the door was there to see her.
She wondered who it could be. She knew Inuyasha wouldn't be knocking on the door. The only other person that she could think of was Hojo. But from the sounds of the giggles coming closer to her door, Kagome knew it was her friends; her three, pushy friends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi.
'Now what?' She took a seat at the windowsill again.
One of them knocked on the door and opened it as soon as Kagome responded.
"Hi Kagome," the young girl with short black hair, spoke first.
"How are you feeling?" The second girl with dark brown hair asked.
Kagome kept her attention out the window, "Fine."
The third girl walked up to her and handed her a few sheets of paper, "Here's some make up work for math. We wanted to drop by and give them to you."
The girl with brown hair, joined her friend at the window, "And to see how you're doing?"
Kagome glanced at the paper, then returned to the world outside her window, "Thanks."
To her three friends standing near her, it was obvious that her mind was not in the room. The depth in her eyes was not in the math problem the teacher had assigned. They had seen her drift like that many times before. She was off somewhere, probably with her 'secret' boyfriend that she always denied having. The shared thought of the three young girls was not entirely correct. True, her mind was off somewhere else, but he was hardly a boyfriend, much less 'secret'.
"Kagome," Yuka broke the silence. "Hojo was asking for you today."
"Again," she finally turned to the three.
Ayumi smiled, excitedly, "Yeah. He was wondering why you didn't show up today."
"I wasn't feeling good," Kagome answered.
"He said that you looked healthy yesterday."
"He is so into you. How can you blow him off?"
"Yeah. He's so hot."
Kagome didn't even have to look up at them. She could already see the dreamy looks of lust in their eyes. But the image of a young man with long, white hair flashed through her own mind, "He's, I…I'm…I just…I don't know."
They knew that look in her eyes. They had seen it too many times. It was frustration and one responsible for that, was much to obvious.
"Why do you put up with him?"
"He's obviously not treating you right."
"If he loved you he wouldn't be treating you like this."
Kagome scoffed, "He's too busy mooning over his dead ex-girlfriend, to notice how he's treating me."
The three friends took a step back, "What?"
"I didn't mean dead," Kagome tried to cover her words. "I just…can't…stand her. I mean, that's she's always in the way. Like she won't let their past rest."
In unison, they responded, still confused, "Uh…"
"It's just," Kagome crossed her arms, annoyed. "I can't compete with that. Every time I hear about her, she's just this all amazing person. She was so wonderful, beautiful and blah, blah, blah. Then to make matters worse, some think I look like her."
"Really?" Eri stepped forward.
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yeah. And I know he thinks so too. Even when he looks at me. I know he sees her."
"Dump him," Ayumi told her. "He's not worth it."
"Well," Kagome shrugged. "He's not my boyfriend to dump."
"If he's not your boyfriend," Eri raised her eyebrow. "Then why do you care about his ex?"
Kagome could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, "Uh, I don't…It's just, well…."
"Yes?" The three girls crossed their arms in disbelief.
The girl at the windowsill tried to find the right words, but as she thought of the hanyou and the dead miko, her annoyance grew much more. That made her words come flying out of her mouth, "I don't like being compared to her. I mean, I'm me! I'm not her! Ugh!"
This time the three girls took a few steps back. Kagome noticed their distance from her and looked up at them. Fear and confusion was written all over their faces. She almost asked them what was wrong, but two of the girls answered the unspoken question.
"Kagome…"
"Did you just…"
"Growl?"
Kagome was confused. She didn't know how to answer that. She didn't hear herself growl. She just grunted in frustration.
"I did?" She looked from one pair of eyes, to another.
"Kagome," Ayumi spoke gently. "Are you okay?"
Kagome nodded her head, "Yeah. I just need to be alone right away."
"Right," Yuka looked from Ayumi to Eri. "We'll let you alone."
"We'll see you at school," Eri added.
"Close the door behind you," was Kagome's only reply.
With that the three girls left her room. Kagome continued to stare out the window. She thought about what the girls had just told her and the things she had said herself.
Her gaze fell upon the well, 'What's happening to me?'
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I'm so confused right now.
First of all, I've been waking up sick. What the hell? Am I pregnant? Oh brother, even I have to laugh at that one. That's ridiculous. But seriously, this sickness thing is getting irritating already. I've woken up two times, feeling sick…throwing up actually. The second time was the worst. I actually think I was throwing up blood. What's up with that? The first time my 'morning sickness' started, I had that nightmare about blood. The second time, I don't remember seeing any blood. But I'll get back to the whole dream thing in a minute. Anyway, I think it's Kaede's medicine. I think I'll skip taking it tonight, just to see what happens.
Kagome sighed as she paused. She had found herself back on the windowsill again, later that evening. It seemed much easier to gather her thoughts, by sitting in that spot. It felt more open; free. The words just poured onto the blank pages within her journal.
Dreams. They used to be so carefree and a good escape. Lately mine have become bizarre. I keep finding myself in the darkness. I know it represents something, but I don't know. It also seems so familiar. Why? It's bugging me. Why is it so familiar? Why can't I think of it.
She put her pen down and began to rub her face with her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair. All of her motions were in frustration. It annoyed her that she couldn't remember. She knew there was something important for her to remember, but what?
Suddenly a light knock fell on her door.
"What?!" She answered in exasperation.
"Kagome?" Her mother spoke from the other side of the door.
"What do you want?" Her voice still cold.
"May I come in?" Her mother remained patient.
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Fine."
The door opened slowly, "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," Kagome looked out the window.
Her mom took a seat on the bed, "Oh, is there something you want to talk about?"
"You're the one who came to me," she responded.
"I know. But I wanted to see if you're okay."
"I told you I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You were real quiet at dinner. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Kagome didn't say anything.
Her mother joined her at the window. She followed her daughter's gaze. Both their eyes rested on the well.
"Boys," her mother whispered. "They're a handful."
"You can say that again, " Kagome didn't take her eyes off the well.
Her mother smiled.
"I mean," the young girl turned to her mother, cheeks flushed. "What makes you say that?"
"It's okay Kagome," her mom put her hand on hers. "I understand."
Kagome sighed, "Were you ever confused by the way a guy acted?"
Her mom laughed light heartedly, "Oh yes. More often than not."
"Really?"
"And they're all like that. Confusing."
Kagome frowned, "Great."
"Hojo seems to like you," her mom told her.
Kagome scrunched her nose, "No thanks. I'm not interested."
"I see," her mom nodded, knowingly.
A silence fell between the two of them. Kagome turned her attention back to the well. Her mom studied her face. Her eyes held confusion and sadness.
"Has he kissed you?" Her mother's question shattered the silence.
Kagome's eyes widened at the question. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks once more, "No."
She smiled at her embarrassment, "Have you had your first kiss?"
She couldn't face her, "Mom!"
Her mother reached up for her chin. She gently turned her daughter's head, so that Kagome met her mother's eyes.
"Kagome," she spoke gently. Her mouth was no longer in a smile. "Has he made any attempts?"
She giggled at her mom's words, "You mean, 'put the moves on me'?"
She didn't laugh.
Kagome swallowed hard, then frowned, "No."
Her mom sighed, "Don't hang up on him."
"You mean, give up?"
"No. 'Don't hang up on him.' In other words don't wait on him."
"You want me to go after him?"
"No. I'm saying, it's not healthy to wait for someone. If you wait too long, you just might miss out on something even better. Don't put your life on hold. You have to live."
Her mom sighed, sadly, "Sometimes you have to just let go."
"But-" She tried.
"If it comes back," her mom continued. "Then maybe it was meant to be yours."
Kagome thought a moment, before speaking. "What if you let it go, then it finally comes around, but already you've found something else?"
She took in a deep breath and put her hand on her daughter's, "Hmm. That's difficult. You'll just have to listen to your heart. It'll tell you which is right for you."
The silence fell again. Kagome looked down at her hands. She thought about what her mother had told her. She thought about him.
"How do you know who your first kiss is going to be?" She finally looked up from her hands.
Her mom's eyes were as tender as her voice, "Oh, your heart will tell you. Just trust it to show you."
Kagome took in a deep breath, along with her mom's words.
"I better go check on your little brother," she stood up.
She stood up and hugged her mom, "Thanks."
Her mother wrapped her arms around Kagome, "I love you Kagome."
"I love you too," she nearly cried into her shoulder.
They pulled away, with her mom kissing her on the forehead, "You are so beautiful. I'm sure your kiss, won't be too far away."
She blushed, "Mom…"
Her mom ran her fingers through Kagome's hair, "You've grown so much. And your hair. It's so long."
"Mom," she took a step back. "Don't cry on me now."
"Okay," she turned for the door. "I won't."
Just as she closed the door, Kagome told her again, "Thanks Mom."
She smiled and closed the door. Kagome sighed. She could still hear her mom's words echoing in her ears. She had to admit, some were painful, but they were the truth.
She sat down again at the window, taking in a deep breath of the night air. Her nose picked up the lingering scent of musk. It made her think of Inuyasha. She could still see his tawny eyes and white hair. That made her sigh once more, as she continued with her entry.
Mom just gave me some advice about boys. Boy, rather. Why does he have to be so confusing? Mom said to 'let go'. But, I don't know. I'm not in love with him. I admit I think about him. Maybe I kind of like him, a little. I wouldn't say no to a kiss. Oh brother, I can't believe I'm even writing that. Forget it. It wouldn't work. We're always fighting and he lives how many years in the past and I'm in the future. Not to mention, there's the 'dead ex' problem. Just forget it. Topic dropped.
I want to get back to what's been happening. Yuka, Ayumi and Eri came by. They came to drop off my school work. Turns out I missed the whole day of school. When I blacked out last night, I didn't wake up till midday. Sick again, but I already mentioned that part. The weird thing is they said I growled. Huh? They asked me about him and I mentioned her and they said I growled. I remember grunting in frustration, but I know I didn't growl.
And Souta freaked on me. I yelled at him and he just bailed out of the room. I need to tell him sorry. I didn't mean to get so mad.
There is just so many weird things going on. The dreams, the sickness, the 'growl', the throwing up blood. I need to talk to Kaede. These past days stem from the day with the demon.
She paused once more. She closed her eyes and sorted through her many thoughts. She tried to clear her mind. She tried to put all the events into perspective. Somehow everything seemed to point right back to that day.
I know who I need to talk to.
Oh and someone definitely needs to talk to Hojo about getting better deodorant. There was just something about his scent that turned me off…completely!
Kagome closed her book and took one more look at the well. She walked over to her nightstand and placed the book in its small drawer. The lamp in the room went out with a flick of a switch, leaving her in total darkness. The only light came through the open window.
Just like before, she thought of his words while changing into her nightgown. It was much like an oversized t-shirt. It fell just above her knees. She tied her hair back and thought of her mom's words, 'I need to trust my heart to show me.'
Kagome stopped what she was doing. She stood still in the darkness and repeated that phrase once more, 'I need to trust my heart to show me.'
She closed her eyes, so that she could see nothing but black. She recited some familiar words, '…trust my heart to show me everything I'll ever need.'
'…trust your heart
To show you…'
Her eyes opened and her jaw dropped, "I've heard those words. When I was 'dreaming'?"
She lied down on her bed and continued to recite the small phrase. She knew there was more to it. That wasn't all there was. And she knew it was a song. She had heard it somewhere before. She searched her memory to find the right melody.
'…trust your heart to show you
Everything you'll ever need…'
Those would be the last words she would hear before drifting off to sleep.
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Her ears detected the light sounds of crackling and popping. Her eyelids slowly opened to the colors of red and yellow, dancing in the soft breeze. She could feel her body shiver at the touch of cold all around her. She lifted her weak arm and reached out to the warmth of the flames, but her arm was carefully pushed down by another, which was surrounded by a white cloth.
There was a quick flash of movement. Her eyes couldn't keep up. When the motion stopped, she found herself engulfed in a warm presence. She could see the same hand, and the same white cloth, as it brought itself closer to her face.
'Fingers,' she whispered to herself.
The fingers slowly found their way into her mouth. They were covered in a liquid substance. Her tongue softly lapped off the fluid. Its texture was thick and syrupy.
"I need you to swallow it," the voice hummed in her ear.
She tried to do what she was told, but her throat wouldn't allow it. She coughed immediately.
"I know," the voice consoled. "I know. But you have to."
The fingers took themselves out of her mouth. They returned seconds later with more of the same thick substance. Her tongue lapped it up once more and she swallowed harder than before. She could feel the muscles in her stomach as she fought to keep it down.
Again, the flash of movement presented itself. She tried to keep up, but in a blink, it stopped. She had found herself wrapped in the warm presence again. The heat from the source filled her entire body. It gave off a sense of strength and security. The thumping in her ears and the sound of inhalation, was incredibly soothing.
She blinked her eyes into focus. She wanted to see what made her feel so safe; at home. She shifted and found her hands resting atop a firm chest, next to her head. A pair of strong arms were wrapped, snug around her small frame.
She looked up, to see his eyes closed in sleep. His ears twitched at her meek voice, "Inuyasha."
His opened and he smiled, "Kagome. Sleep. You need your strength."
She rested her head on chest and tugged at his hoari, "I have it."
His arms tightened around her. She jumped slightly at the touch of his lips on her forehead.
She laid in his arms, trying to sleep. A thought ran through her mind, but she was timid to go with it. Her hands began to grow clammy and her heart began to race. She bit at her lower lip, just debating silently to herself. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. The heat in her body intensified by her nerves and his closeness.
It was then Kagome moved as quick as she could. She reached her hand up and tugged on his chin, pulling his face close to her. He didn't seemed surprised by her action. He just followed her and pressed his lips to hers.
At his touch, she could feel her heart rate speed up. The thumping from her heart was in tune with the speed of his heart. Their body heat combined, roared more fierce than the fire they lay next to. The flames grew higher as his lips continuously caressed hers.
Kagome's eyes flew wide open. Through the silence, the thumping in her chest boomed in her ears. It's beat ran at a rapid pace. Her lungs pumped the cool night air in an out just as quickly. And although her brown eyes were locked on the ceiling above her, they saw other images. They only say pictures, illustrations that were captured by the mind's eye.
The corner of her lip twitched at the last vision. Soon it formed itself into a grin and her eyebrow rose slightly. Her heart had not reduced its beats, nor had her breaths. Her blood boiled, warming her smooth skin. She was near sweat.
She sat up in her bed and looked out her open window. Her fingers quickly pulled down the elastic band that held her long black hair back. She ran her tongue over her dry lips and quickly headed for the window.
Her steps, though swift, were very quiet and furtive. She leapt from her open window and ran to the shrine, where the well sat. She jumped in and fell through the mystical doorway, like she had done so many times before.
Upon reaching the other side, she sprung out of the well in one leap. She stood on the top wall of its mouth. She gazed at the moonlit forest around her. Her nose took in the smell of the pine, the aroma of plant life and the faint aroma of musk. That scent brought on the same grin that had formed from her lips, earlier in her bedroom.
Kagome hopped off the mouth of the well and sprinted towards the village. Her heart thumped wildly, like a beating drum. The hot blood coursed through her veins, warding off the chilly air that attempted to penetrate her skin. Her lungs merely tasted the air before it escaped from its hold. With each hurried step she took, the scent grew stronger.
The village had come into clear view as she slowed her pace. Her feet came to a stop, as her nose took in the air once more. Her head quickly turned from the village to the familiar tree. Her grin returned.
She made her move towards the tree. However, she did not run. Her strides were much more relaxed, non-chalant. Her essence had been carried on the waves of the breeze, notifying her presence. There would be no surprise, but it made no difference to her.
"I knew you'd come," a voice in the dark, spoke coldly.
Inuyasha jumped down from his branch and stood a few feet away from her, with his arms crossed. He had his back to her.
"I knew you'd be waiting for me," she responded coolly.
She reached the base of the tree and stopped.
He tried to remain indifferent, but her response made his cheeks flush, "Wh-what makes you think I was waiting for you?"
She grinned mischievously, "Oh, I know how you sulk and why."
He shook his head in frustration, "What are you talking about?"
She giggled at his reply, walked over to the tree and leaned against it.
He found her behavior to be peculiar. She wasn't one to play mind games and her tone of voice was strange. It sounded playful; teasing. It reminded him of a certain monk.
"What's with you?" He turned to face her. His eyes widened when he finally looked upon the girl he had come to know closely. "What the hell are you wearing?!" One leg was propped up against the tree, causing her night shirt to rise up, which incidentally revealed more skin.
"What?" Her face filled with a phony innocence. "This is what I wear to bed."
The half demon's cheeks flared a bright red, "Shouldn't you be in your bed for that?!" He turned away from her.
She pushed herself off the tree and moved closer to the hanyou, "Oh come now, Inuyasha."
"Uh," he couldn't look at her.
"You act like you've never looked at me before," she traced her finger over his broad shoulders. Then she sensually whispered, "Why look the other way now?"
He moved away from her, "What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," her voice sweet as honey.
He was within reach, as she used both hands to grab his red kimono. She tugged at the thick cloth, pulling him closer. Their faces were only centimeters apart. Her voice was barely audible, but seductive, "Not yet anyway."
In shock, the half demon froze. Words could not form in his mouth. Still, she would not give him a chance to reply, for she had placed her lips over his. She kissed him with a passion that sent shivers all through his powerful body.
Her lips released their hold on his and slowly brushed her tongue his wet lips, getting another taste of him. She spoke in a hushed voice, "I bet Kikyou never kissed you like that."
"Uh," was all he could say, meekly at that.
With that she smiled devilishly and threw him to the ground. He landed with his back to the grass. Maybe it was because he was in such astonishment, but it amazed him at how easily she flung his body.
His mind finally came out of astonishment, "Kagome, I think…"
She placed her index finger over her lips, "Shhh."
He tried to get up, but she straddled his chest, pinning him down, "Don't make me beg." She began to open his kimono and hoari top, exposing his bare chest. She giggled flirtatiously.
Kagome ran her hands over the half demon's chest and leaned in to kiss him once more. She nipped at his lips with her teeth. Then let her tongue run smoothly over the corner of his lips, onto his cheek. Her hands continued to stroke his chest and soon found their way to the back of his neck, then through his thick, long, white hair. She went right back caressing his lips with her own. He could hear a low rumble coming from her chest.
Inuyasha gently pushed her back, attempting to sit up. "Kagome, I don't think we should do this."
She pushed him back down and leaned closed to his head, with her forearms propped along both sides of his face, "What's wrong? Am I being too rough?"
He finally stood up, making her fall on her rear end, "I…it's just…Something's not right. This isn't you."
She scoffed, "You're unbelievable."
"Huh?" He face full of confusion.
"I wish you'd make up your damn mind," she stared at him intensely.
"What's that suppose to mean?" He eyed her carefully.
"You bitch about me being weak," she climbed to her feet and took a step towards him. "Then when I am aggressive, it's too much for you."
He flushed, "That's not what I meant."
She rolled her eyes and began to walk away.
She spoke loud enough, and coldly, for his ears, "I wonder if the monk is still awake."
Inuyasha couldn't respond. His mouth fell open as he watched her dash towards the village. He watched as her long, black hair bounced as she ran. The breeze pushed through it, giving her a more wild look. His nose took in her scent. It was the same. She was still Kagome.
That made him think more of her behavior, her words, her kiss. Were his assumptions correct? But just before he could complete his thought, his nose picked up something foul sailing in on the wind. It was different from hers and it definitely wasn't friendly.
