"Keep your filthy hands off her!" Kouga growled furiously. Without hesitation, he leapt forward, his fingers clenched in a fist, and delivered a staggering blow to the leader's face. The sound of bones crunching together made a gruesome symphony. Kagome jerked back, startled as the leader's unconscious body hit the ground with a thud.

"Why you little punk!" The ever-faithful members of the gang crowded around Kouga, snickering in amusement. Kouga smirked. "Something funny going on?" One of the members laughed uproariously.

"Yeah! We're just thinking about how funny your face is gonna' look when we beat the livin' snot outta ya' in front of your girlfriend!"

Girlfriend? Kagome blinked. Where? Then, with a heavy blush, realized that the group was referring to her. "I'm not his-" She was interrupted when Kouga leapt in front of her.

"What are you still doing here? Get away from here! Now!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes furiously, much to Kouga's surprise. "Oh please! Do you honestly think that just because I'm a girl, I can't fight? Well, you had better listen up, buddy!"

While she stood there screaming at Kouga, a member of the gang rushed forward, to attack them both. Kagome turned her head to the side, stopping the man dead in his tracks with a icy glare. "Can't you see I'm talking here? Be quiet!" Chills rolled down his back. With a shake of his head, he recovered his momentarily lost pride. There wasn't any way in hell he'd let this little girl show him down!

"Prepare to run home to your mommy!" he screamed.

Kagome picked up the stick that had been thrown onto the ground and beat him unconscious. "I said 'Be Quiet"!" she shouted loudly.

Putting a hand on her hips, she turned back to face Kouga. "Now, what was I saying? Ah, yes. Don't you dare think that I'm weaker than you just because I'm a girl! Girls can do lots of things that boys can do too!" The rest of the gang was in shock, but recovered from it soon enough.

"Get her!" They darted forward, their weapons raised in their hands. Kagome throbbed with anger. "Be quiet!" The only sounds audible were the sounds of the men being beaten into unconsciousness with a stick.

"How rude! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" she hissed, irritated.

Unbelievable. She had just beaten the entire gang! And with what? A stick! His gaze flickered back to her irritated one. Was she so angry about what she said? He hadn't meant it that way. Kouga held up his hands in defense. "I really didn't mean to imply that you were weaker than me because you're a girl. I just didn't want you getting hurt, that's all." Great. His tough guy image was ruined. Well, it wasn't too bad, he supposed.

She regarded him with a slightly suspicious stare, but relented. "Well, okay. But you should be careful of what you say."

Kagome turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist. What the? "Kouga?" she quirked, turning to face him. His hazel eyes wandered across her face so intensely, it made her blush.

"What are you staring at?" she demanded to know.

"You're beautiful," he remarked. Kagome blushed furiously. "T-thanks," she replied, a bit nervous at having someone hold her so closely. She could even hear the faint beating of his heart. Why was hers beating so fast? Kouga's eyes held her captive, and for some reason, she could see the different textures of brown that shaded his eyes. It was then she realized that it was because he was leaning in closer and closer...

"Ack!" She pushed him away forcefully, blushing even more than before. He was stunned. He hadn't meant to try to kiss her. It was just an impulse, really. And damn it, he was so close! How could a girl make his heart race like this? And he had just met her, too.

"Well, I-I have to be going! Chores, you know!" She laughed somewhat similar to that of a maniac and dashed off. Kagome could still feel his gaze trailing after her as she ran, and she could still feel the heat of the blush on her cheeks. The sound of her footsteps reminded her of his heartbeat. Shaking her countenance free of the blush that once again stained her cheeks, she ran faster, not stopping until she had in sight the familiar steps of her house. Breathing heavily, she came to an abrupt halt. She had finally gotten away from-

"Hey." She gave a startled yelp and leapt back at Kouga's face, which had suddenly came into view. "Were you following me home?" she hissed, now more angry than shocked.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I was. But only because you dropped this." He held out a piece of crumpled paper to her. Her eyes widened, and she gently took it from his outstretched fingers. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. It was the piece of paper where Inuyasha had hastily scribbled down his phone number. She clutched it tightly to her heart.

Kouga peered at her. "The way you're holding that tattered piece of paper, you act as if it's some sacred number. I took a quick peek at it. It's a phone number, isn't it?" She nodded. Curiosity took the better of him.

"Who's number is it?" he asked, prodding her to tell him. Kagome blushed faintly. "It's not important." Kouga snorted. "Oh, come on. It must be important. I can tell from the way you're holding it so tightly, like you're afraid of losing it again."

Plus, he had noticed the way that her eyes had lit up, like a lantern scintillating through the darkness. He thought it best not to tell her, she might react strangely, like she had to his near kiss. Something stirred in his memory. Hadn't he seen that little piece of paper before? Hmm. His eyes flickered with recognition. Wasn't that where that idiot guy had written his phone number? After all, Kouga had stayed behind to get a better look at this girl, and he recalled that she and the other guy had been conversing over phone numbers and the mall, or something to that descent.

 "It's that guy's phone number, isn't it? That guy who you were talking to after class ended?"

Kagome blinked. "You mean Inuyasha?" Kouga gave her a careless shrug, but his tone hinted irritation. She was puzzled. Inuyasha hadn't really done anything to him.

"Yes, it's his phone number."

Kouga looked a bit annoyed. "What a jerk. So what, he's going around giving out his phone numbers to every pretty girl he sees?" Kagome slightly glared at Kouga, but she found it was difficult, because he had tried "come to her rescue" only a few minutes before.

"He hasn't done anything to you! Don't say things like that about him!" she protested.

Man. The more he heard about this guy 'Inuyasha', the more furious Kouga became. Who did that guy think he was?

"Since he gave out his number, I might as well give out mine." Amidst Kagome's protests, he took the piece of paper from her and scribbled his number down on the other side. There. Now it was even.

"Um. Thanks?" Kagome commented, bewildered.

He smiled. "No problem. Anyways, I have to be going. See you around-" Then his expression changed. "Say. I never did catch your name. What is it?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

"K-kagome," she managed to say. "Kagome." Kouga repeated the name a couple of times in his head. "It's beautiful. Like you. Anyways, count on seeing me around. I've got my eye on you. Call me," he remarked coolly before he walked off.

Kagome blinked, not sure of what had just unfolded before her. Shrugging, she unlocked her front door with a key and disappeared into the house.

Kouga, who had purposefully ambled off with agonizing slowness, felt his lips round into a smile. He liked Kagome, and he wasn't afraid to admit it to himself. He had never met a girl like her before. "We'll be meeting again, Kagome…" The zephyrs of wind danced around his feet, carrying his message to her window undetected. Inside, unaware that Kouga had been lingering behind, Kagome could have sworn that her heart had just beat a little faster.