Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, but I just bought a DVD today! Yay!
Unfortunately I forgot that we still haven't figured out how to work the
DVD player. Well this is just great...Ill have to wait weeks for CN to show
the episodes I could have just watched on the stupid DVD player!
A/N: Thanks for the new reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter..it's centered mostly on Inuyasha and Kagome!!!!
May I ask you all a little favor? I was bored the other night and decided to try my hand at writing a songfic just to see if I could do it. I posted it, and I'd really like some feedback. Please review on it for me and tell me if its any good! (it isn't that long) because I want to know if I can even WRITE songfics. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!
Chapter Fifteen
Out on the Town
*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
"Wha-?" mumbled a sleepy Kagome, burrowing herself deeper within her soft, silky blanket. "Lemme sleep mom, I think I'm sick today".
*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
"The second alarm woke the slumbering Kagome with a start and she sat straight up, peering curiously at the scenery around her. She relaxed after a moment when she remembered exactly who and where she was, and she glanced at the digital clock that rested beside her bed. According to the clock Inuyasha had given her the night before; it was barely eight in the morning. Much earlier then the usual 10 or 11 Kagome often rose at. She listened intently for any sound of movement within the apartment but found none. One of two things could explain this. One, Inuyasha was already up and drinking coffee, but she couldn't hear him because of the gigantic size of the apartment or, two, he still wasn't up. Kagome hoped for the latter, she'd dearly love to see Inuyasha beaten at his own game.
The stubborn hanyou had given her his alarm clock the night before, saying that he couldn't have her lying around all day, and he could just as easily wake himself up. Apparently he wasn't the early bird he thought he was, and Kagome entertained the notion of waking him up herself, just the way he had done only the day before. It would serve him right in her opinion.
She gave up on that plan for a better one, roll over and go back to sleep. If Inuyasha wasn't getting up, neither was she. She curled up on her side facing the window and the city below, watching cars and pedestrians scurry below her. Her arms tightened involuntarily around the fluffy dog which lay cradled in her grasp, and she turned her thoughts to the events of the past few days.
Today was day four since she had agreed to stay with Inuyasha, and she could hardly believe her good fortune. She realized just how much she owed the hanyou; he had saved her life twice, taken in her dog, and even given her a place to call home, despite her constant dangers. Just a few days ago she had been sobbing on the sidewalks, unhappy with the turn her life had taken. She had been so lucky to find him, and Miroku too for that matter. She almost felt bad for all the horrid things she had said about him before she had ever met the guy and for all the horrid things she had said TO him after. ALMOST being the key word.
While Inuyasha must have some sort of heart deep down, he was probably one of the most annoying people to share a living quarters with. Not that Kagome was complaining, better Inuyasha then a box near Subway, but still, he could be so aggravating! They had done almost nothing in the past three days except fight, but Kagome really wasn't complaining about that much either. Although their constant bickering bugged her to no end, it was actually quite nice to find someone to argue so playfully with. She guessed she had forgotten what it was like to truly have friends. Back home she had Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, but she had been forced to distance herself from them when her father had come rolling around. When she moved in with Kikyo the two girls had bonded almost instantly, but their bond never really stretched past "acquaintances". They would help each other out if truly needed, but they didn't go crawling to one another for advice.
She heard a coffee grinder being booted up from outside her door, and she grumbled at the fact that in fact Inuyasha HADN'T been lying, he truly did have the ability to wake up with the sun. She had been hoping for something to use against him. Seeing that this wouldn't be her arguing point, she pulled herself (and a reluctant Buyo) out of bed and dressed in some of the clothing she had bought with Sango only the day before.
'Sango seems like a really sweet person,' she thought as she stepped into her jeans, 'but why is she living all alone with her brother? Maybe something happened to her parents,' she gave a rueful laugh at that. Maybe she had more in common with the feisty Sango then she originally thought. After running a quick brush through her hair, she padded out the doorway and into the kitchen where Inuyasha stood leaning over a counter, a coffee in his hand.
"So I see my idea worked then," he grinned cockily. "Pretty ingenious if I do say so myself," Kagome snorted at his boasting.
"Somebody took an I love me pill this morning," she griped, groping around a bit for a glass of her own.
"Ah, and I see somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed as well. You aren't a morning person are you?"
"You think," grumbled a sarcastic Kagome who had finally selected the drink of her choice, pure untainted orange juice, pulp and all. Yum. She thought back on her few reflections earlier that morning and entertained the idea of maybe being a little nicer to Inuyasha, at least for a little while. He had done her quite a few nice turns, and it couldn't hurt to try to befriend him after all the trouble he'd gone through. She shot a smile at him and he returned a surprised smirk. At least she was getting somewhere.
Reaching for a donut he had laid out for her before her arrival, she turned to face the hanyou. "So, what are you doing today?" she asked politely, making a point not to say WE as she knew he would only get angry, and she was trying her hardest not to start a fight. God knows this wouldn't be easy.
Inuyasha looked uncomfortable for a moment, almost as if he were debating whether or not he wanted to allow his next words to escape from his lips. "I dunno, I was thinking that if you were bored you might want to go catch a movie or something," he trailed off, acting as if that sentence were the hardest he ever had forced himself to say. He hadn't planned on spending any time with the girl at all, but after his recent conversation with Miroku he figured the least he could do was show her a little respect. Maybe the pervert was right; maybe there was a potential friendship there after all.
Kagome shifted her arms, trying to look anywhere but at the man in front of her. "Um, what do you mean by catching a movie together?" she asked timidly, hoping it didn't come across as suspicious.
Inuyasha hadn't seen that one coming, and he mentally slapped himself. He needed to learn to watch how he phrased his sentences. "No, no, no, nothing like that. Just as two people who are unrealistically bored and want to get out of their cramped house".
"You call this place cramped? It's huge!" protested Kagome, attempting to change the topic. She had felt an enormous relief at his words; however, she wasn't sure WHAT she would have said if his answer had been otherwise.
Inuyasha (who was also quite pleased with the change of subject) responded with his usual arrogance back intact. "Nothing compared to my place in Palm Springs. That pad's got the works. Beach, golf, girls, it's the perfect life!"
"You golf?" Kagome asked incredulously. She could NOT see Inuyasha golfing, but who knew? Maybe the man had a hidden talent.
"Heck no, that sport is for cranky old men! I just like to drive the little cars around and terrorize the wussies," he gave a short laugh at that, and Kagome just rolled her eyes. He was SO stereotypical, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her angry.
"So what movie do you want to go see anyway?" she queried. Knowing Inuyasha it would be some horror film full of gore and half naked ladies. She hadn't been far off.
"Rice Cannibals Two: the classic horror film full of gore and half naked ladies. That ok with you?"
Kagome blinked then rolled her eyes at the hanyou. "Spare me please".
"You don't appreciate good movies. What do YOU want to see then?" he'd bet anything it was some sappy romance film.
"You Broke up with My Ex Girlfriend's Great Uncle! It's supposed to be an excellent movie with heart wrenching drama and romance. Just my thing!" she smiled brightly, her eyes glazing over with glee. Inuyasha snapped in front of her face a few times to draw her out of her trance, and eventually she did just that. "So, whaddaya think?"
"I think you need to visit a mental institution".
Kagome crossed her arms. "Fine, insult my good taste," she paused in thought for a moment. "Wait, Sango told me of another movie that recently came out. It's supposed to be a cross between action and romance, and yes there are most likely half naked ladies in it," well that did it for Inuyasha. He was hooked no matter WHAT the movie was. "I think she called it "My Girlfriend's Ex: Cannibal of Death". It sounds sorta interesting I guess," she shrugged. "You in?"
"Well it probably isn't as good as Cannibal Two, but what the hell. Let's go!"
"This'll be fun!" chirped Kagome as she took a bite out of her donut. It might actually have been worth it to wake up so early!
~*~
"This is not fun," Kagome shuddered against her seat at the sight of the cannibal transvestite. She had expected the movie to be a little odd, but she had not been expecting THIS.
"Most definitely not fun," Inuyasha agreed, this movie had scared him more then any horror film had ever been able to.
Inuyasha and Kagome both made a silent agreement to NEVER come to the movie theater again without KNOWING what you were watching beforehand, and to NEVER trust Sango's taste. The two had just spent the last hour in utter horror as they watched the STRANGEST movie they'd ever seen in their lives. It wasn't particularly full of action and it CERTAINLY wasn't full of romance, but it was the scariest thing either of them had ever seen in their lives, even stranger then the hippie alien movie they had watched with Miroku (and that was saying a lot)!
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked fearfully.
"Yeah?" he answered back carefully, trying to keep his usual tone intact.
"Can we like, get out of here?"
"I was just about to suggest that actually," and with that the two of them quietly made their way out of the crowded theater, both wondering to themselves how this movie had managed to pick up so many viewers. Maybe messed up people like Sango were all alike.
When they had both finally vacated themselves from the theater, they turned to stare at the city around them. They had the freedom to do almost anything they wanted, but the decision lay with them.
"So what do you wanna do now?" Inuyasha questioned drolly.
"MOCHA FRAPPACINO!" Kagome jumped up with a clap of her hands and shot Inuyasha a pleading look. Inuyasha sighed and turned toward the direction of the coffee shop, Kagome trailing behind him like a dog. He imagined the raven haired girl on a leash under his complete control and he laughed in spite of himself. He liked that image.
"For some reason it doesn't feel like...you," Kagome said thoughtfully. "You look so different!"
"The hat and sunglasses may have something to do with it," Inuyasha stated dryly, a bit tired of Kagome's cheerfulness.
"I miss your ears!"
"You wha-?" Inuyasha shot her a strange look.
"They're like Buyo's! They're so cute!" she squealed, picturing the soft puppy ears in question. Inuyasha's own ears lay flat against his head at this statement, even if Kagome couldn't see it through his baseball cap. He had to disguise himself at least a bit when spending a day in the city, but he didn't need to go all out. It wasn't THAT big of a deal when someone recognized him, unless it was the paparazzi. Inuyasha remembered the day weeks before when they had chased him into a coffeeshop, the very one the two were headed to now in fact. It was there that he had first come upon Kagome, and he still wasn't sure whether he regretted it or not. Realization dawned upon him; he still needed to pay her back for that little incident! But not now, he would wait till later to spring payback on her.
The two meandered silently along until they came upon the cozy shop, and Inuyasha pushed open the door with ease. A bell chimed overhead, and a grin lit up Kagome's face. This place was just so cute!
They stepped up to the counter to place their orders, and Kagome was quite thankful that this cashier was different from the last. She wouldn't have been able to stand the embarrassment if it had been the same man.
"Two mocha frappacinos please," Inuyasha stated in a slightly higher voice then usual, causing Kagome to shoot him an odd look and him to silence her with a grunt.
"Right away sir. Say, have I seen you somewhere before?" he narrowed his eyes quizzically and Inuyasha shook his head violently.
"No um, I just move here. This my first night in America. Beautiful country you have. Very thankful am I to be here," he bowed his head toward the man who gave him a very odd look. He shrugged then turned back toward the register. He came across these sorts of pranksters every day; it was nothing new to him.
"Here you are," he handed the two their drinks and Inuyasha made his way to a slightly secluded table, a sheepish Kagome following behind. Once the two had finally gotten comfortable in their vinyl seats, Kagome leaned across the table toward Inuyasha to grab his attention.
"What the heck was that?" she demanded.
"That?"
"Yes, that. The 'I not from America' bit. You sounded like a squirrel," she leaned back and calmly took a sip of her mocha, savoring its flavor in her mouth.
"It's not like people don't know my voice. He was already beginning to suspect, I had to do SOMETHING. I didn't want the paparazzi giving me a repeat of a few weeks ago," he grinned ruefully, remembering the incident with Kagome. No bizarre news reports had appeared yet, but he was sure some were bound to eventually. They were probably just waiting for the right time, or the right story to tie it in with.
Kagome interrupted his thoughts with another comment. "You look like you're from the mafia," she took another sip. "You should wear a trench coat with that outfit, that would be a riot. Better yet, wear a ski mask while you're at it. Think of the headlines," she made an imaginary marquee with her fingers. "Inuyasha: Master of Disguise" she giggled. "I'd use every last penny I had to buy THAT issue," she laughed again.
"I actually wanted to be in the mafia when I was little," Inuyasha stated calmly, as if that were as normal as wanting to be a fireman.
Kagome almost spit out a mouthful of mocha. "You WHAT?" she gasped incredulously.
"I wanted to in the mafia. That or I wanted to be the leader of some badass gang with AK-47s and all the money we could rob. Either would have been fine with me," again, the most normal thing in the world.
"I don't think I feel safe here anymore".
"Oh relax, that was when I was six. I outgrew that by the second grade".
Kagome idly wondered how a second grader had even known what the mafia was, but boys were very strange creatures back then, with empty heads and hands full of cooties. Yup, those were the days. She leaned back in her chair and took another sip of her favorite drink. She looked across the table to see Inuyasha mirroring her actions, and a new realization dawned on her.
"Hey, you like mocha frappacinos?"
"No, I just saw what you wanted and HAD to get one because you're such a trendsetter," he rolled his eyes sarcastically at her but shot her a surprised look when the only response he received was a smile and squeal of delight.
"Yay! We actually have something in common! I was so worried that you and I were SO different that we'd eventually end up murdering each other! But now that we have something in common we can put our differences aside and become two big happy families!" she gave a short girlish laugh and went back to absorbing herself in her drink, ignoring the fact that Inuyasha was looking at her as if she had grown an extra head.
"Yeah, we can form a fanclub for mocha frappacino lovers everywhere," he said with a mixture of sarcasm and incredulity.
"That would be really cool! I call president!"
"Says who? I should be president!" he hadn't been serious in his suggestion, but he damn well wasn't gonna let her run this silly charade!
"Well I called it. Why should YOU get to be president?" she said in mock anger with her hands on her hips.
"Because I'm me".
"You mean because you're an arrogant and violent jerk who would run our club straight down to hell?"
"Damn straight," he crossed his arms with a haughty grin.
The two glanced at each other for a moment and Kagome burst out into giggles while Inuyasha let out a snort. A few heads turned to stare at them, but they retracted their gazes after a moment having found nothing interesting in the hanyou and human's conversation.
Kagome slurped up the last of her frappacino with some difficulty, sucking in her cheeks and creating a bit of noise as she did so. Inuyasha gave a short laugh at this. "You should have better manners in the presence of greatness," he shot her another smirk and she sent him an indignant look.
"You're right of course. How could I have been so slobbish in front of such a hot cashier?" she sent a little wink over her shoulder to the cashier in question, noting that he had missed the gesture entirely (which was her aim in the first place). Inuyasha sent her a look of horror, the guy had to be at least fifty!
"I'm just kidding!" she snorted. "You actually thought I was serious?" she dissolved into a fit of laughter, and Inuyasha fumed for a moment at being duped. He decided he needed to even up the score a bit, and he knew of a one way ticket to doing just that. The way to a girl's embarrassment is just that...embarrassment. A slow grin began to creep across his face as he began to formulate a plan in his mind. Oh yes, revenge would be very sweet, but he'd save it for later.
A finger snapped him out of his thoughts. "Earth to Inuyasha?"
"What do you want?"
"I want to know what you're planning!" Kagome gave him a suspicious glance, and Inuyasha tried not to appear guilty.
"Planning? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You heard me. You had this look on your face, like this," she glazed her eyes over and shot him a really creepy grin. He winced in spite of himself.
"I don't look anything like that!"
"Wanna bet?" she shot him a challenging glare, and the one thing Inuyasha could never resist was a challenge.
"Hey," she said quietly, appearing to simmer down a bit. "Race you back to the apartment!" her voice loudened and she dashed out of her chair in mere instants, preparing for a speedy getaway. Inuyasha stayed put, but only for a moment. The familiar vibe of competition ran through him, and he dashed out of his chair after her, leaving a surprised cashier in the dust. He snorted, was she really so stupid to think she could beat him? He was, after all, a hanyou. In mere seconds he had caught up to the feisty girl who had no idea he was anywhere near. Quietly he ran behind her for a few moments then, while she was still running full speed, he wrapped an arm around her from behind and pulled her back. The impact was enough to send them both toppling to the ground beside each other, Kagome landing face down and Inuyasha face up. After a few silent seconds, Inuyasha got to his feet slowly, brushing himself off as he did so. He offered Kagome a hand up and she took it without saying a word. After the two were finally on their feet, Inuyasha gave Kagome a wary look. She was a very unpredictable girl, he wasn't really sure whether she would laugh or yell at him. He lapsed into relief when he heard a tiny giggle emit from her that soon turned into full out laughter. Eventually he found himself laughing a bit too, and they sat there laughing for what seemed like ages (but it really wasn't any more then a minute). A few people stopped to give them funny looks, they did, after all, look a bit odd standing in the middle of the sidewalk laughing maniacally.
Finally their laughter ceased and they lapsed into comfortable silence. After a few seconds, Kagome spoke up. "So what do you want to do now?" she asked pleasantly, and Inuyasha shot her a suspicious grin.
"What I always do in my spare time".
"And that would be-," Kagome began for him.
A wide smile took over the hanyou's face. "Spy on Miroku".
~*~
"MIROKU, WAKE UP!" a feisty Sango stood over a large bed with her hands on her hips, glaring at the man it held. Normally she couldn't care less whether or not Miroku was awake, seeing as all he did was make her life a living hell. But Inuyasha had gone with that new girl, Kagome, and she was unreasonably bored. She'd have to be if she'd even consider the idea of waking Miroku up, since asleep was usually how she liked him best, other then paralyzed. She was surprised that he was asleep, usually he was up with the sun. She never knew why, since he didn't have an alarm clock as far as she knew. She quickly drifted out of her thoughts, though, when she felt a hand touch her in a place that was normally left untouched.
"MIROKU!" she yelled angrily, slapping him across the cheek.
"Wha-? Sango, what are you doing here so late at night?" his brain registered what he'd just said and a perverted grin lit up his face, despite the fact that he was only just waking up. "Why Sango I'd be happy to," he began but was cut off before he was able to finish.
"Save it, pervert, I'm in no mood. And for your information it's three in the afternoon. How you managed to sleep in so long I have no idea, but for god's sake wake up! It's been so BORING around here today," she said sourly, annoyed with Miroku's usual good morning greeting. 'Why did I get myself into this?' she groaned inwardly. 'It's just gonna be another one of those days'.
Miroku sat up with a jolt. "Three in the afternoon?" he yelped, then began to simmer down. "I, too, wonder how I managed to sleep in this long. May I inquire as to where Inuyasha is?"
"Quit being so formal, it got old a long time ago," she griped, obviously not in a good mood. "Inuyasha went somewhere with the Kagome girl, he didn't say when he'd be back".
"Ahh, I see," he didn't let on but secretly he was quite happy that Inuyasha had chosen to spend the day with Kagome. Maybe their conversation had meant something to the hanyou after all. "So why are you here if not to," he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Can it Miroku. I'm only here because it's incredibly boring without Inuyasha around".
"All right then. Well now that I am awake, what do you say we take advantage of our good fortune and spend the evening at the Hard Rock Café? Does that sound entertaining?" he appeared totally calm, but inside he was really hoping she'd agree. A night with Sango alone was something he hadn't had in a long time, not with Inuyasha around. Sure he meant well, but had he ever heard the expression "three's a crowd?"
Sango sighed. A night with only Miroku? Usually it was the three of them: her, Miroku, and Inuyasha. She wasn't sure how the night would go if only Miroku were around, he had a tendency to let his hands wander a little too often for her taste. Still, she was incredibly bored and she did love the Hard Rock. "Sure, why not?" she answered dully, still not entirely sure whether this was a good idea.
"Surely you jest," Miroku looked positively thrilled at the idea of her acceptance. "You seriously wish to come?"
"I'll come under one condition. If you try anything idiotic, oh don't give me that look Miroku, you know exactly what I mean," she chided Miroku, who was failing to look innocent. "If you try anything, I swear I will not hesitate to try out my latest moves on you," she shot him a look only to see a perverted grin appearing on his face. "Taekwondo moves, damnit!"
"I was only joking with you, my dear Sango. Shall we go?" he offered her his arm and after a short internal debate she took it with a look of mock disgust.
"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" and with that the two of them left the building, both ignoring the two figures huddled directly outside their doorway. Once they were gone an amazed Inuyasha fell over laughing, and a surprised Kagome was coming quite close.
"Sango is going with Miroku on a d-date?" she choked out through muffled laughs.
"Wonders never cease," said an equally laughing Inuyasha, and the two of them sat on the ground laughing for a few minutes more. They had done quite a lot of that in the past few hours, and Kagome was sure her vocal cords would regret it the next day. After awhile their laughter slowly died down, and they silently headed back to their apartment, sure if they looked at one another they would burst into laughter again. Neither paid any attention the eyes that lay right outside a nearby window as they followed the pair's every move. Maybe, if they hadn't been so preoccupied, they would have suspected something, or maybe they would have clued themselves in onto the fact that the eyes were a bright, bright red.
A/N: There you go. A long InuKag chappie with a little MirSan, though I'm not sure if I did them justice. Don't let this chapter fool you, though, Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship is about to go straight downhill in the next few chapters as they begin to solve the mysteries of each other's lives.
Again, thanks so much to those who review! I'm actually about to start another fic (non AU) revolving around the InuKagKik love triangle...InuKag of course but Kikyo friendly. It's an idea I've been wanting to do for awhile now but never had the time nor patience. Now that Im on spring break I have both, so why not? Hope you check it out when I start it!
A/N: Thanks for the new reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter..it's centered mostly on Inuyasha and Kagome!!!!
May I ask you all a little favor? I was bored the other night and decided to try my hand at writing a songfic just to see if I could do it. I posted it, and I'd really like some feedback. Please review on it for me and tell me if its any good! (it isn't that long) because I want to know if I can even WRITE songfics. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!
Chapter Fifteen
Out on the Town
*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
"Wha-?" mumbled a sleepy Kagome, burrowing herself deeper within her soft, silky blanket. "Lemme sleep mom, I think I'm sick today".
*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
"The second alarm woke the slumbering Kagome with a start and she sat straight up, peering curiously at the scenery around her. She relaxed after a moment when she remembered exactly who and where she was, and she glanced at the digital clock that rested beside her bed. According to the clock Inuyasha had given her the night before; it was barely eight in the morning. Much earlier then the usual 10 or 11 Kagome often rose at. She listened intently for any sound of movement within the apartment but found none. One of two things could explain this. One, Inuyasha was already up and drinking coffee, but she couldn't hear him because of the gigantic size of the apartment or, two, he still wasn't up. Kagome hoped for the latter, she'd dearly love to see Inuyasha beaten at his own game.
The stubborn hanyou had given her his alarm clock the night before, saying that he couldn't have her lying around all day, and he could just as easily wake himself up. Apparently he wasn't the early bird he thought he was, and Kagome entertained the notion of waking him up herself, just the way he had done only the day before. It would serve him right in her opinion.
She gave up on that plan for a better one, roll over and go back to sleep. If Inuyasha wasn't getting up, neither was she. She curled up on her side facing the window and the city below, watching cars and pedestrians scurry below her. Her arms tightened involuntarily around the fluffy dog which lay cradled in her grasp, and she turned her thoughts to the events of the past few days.
Today was day four since she had agreed to stay with Inuyasha, and she could hardly believe her good fortune. She realized just how much she owed the hanyou; he had saved her life twice, taken in her dog, and even given her a place to call home, despite her constant dangers. Just a few days ago she had been sobbing on the sidewalks, unhappy with the turn her life had taken. She had been so lucky to find him, and Miroku too for that matter. She almost felt bad for all the horrid things she had said about him before she had ever met the guy and for all the horrid things she had said TO him after. ALMOST being the key word.
While Inuyasha must have some sort of heart deep down, he was probably one of the most annoying people to share a living quarters with. Not that Kagome was complaining, better Inuyasha then a box near Subway, but still, he could be so aggravating! They had done almost nothing in the past three days except fight, but Kagome really wasn't complaining about that much either. Although their constant bickering bugged her to no end, it was actually quite nice to find someone to argue so playfully with. She guessed she had forgotten what it was like to truly have friends. Back home she had Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, but she had been forced to distance herself from them when her father had come rolling around. When she moved in with Kikyo the two girls had bonded almost instantly, but their bond never really stretched past "acquaintances". They would help each other out if truly needed, but they didn't go crawling to one another for advice.
She heard a coffee grinder being booted up from outside her door, and she grumbled at the fact that in fact Inuyasha HADN'T been lying, he truly did have the ability to wake up with the sun. She had been hoping for something to use against him. Seeing that this wouldn't be her arguing point, she pulled herself (and a reluctant Buyo) out of bed and dressed in some of the clothing she had bought with Sango only the day before.
'Sango seems like a really sweet person,' she thought as she stepped into her jeans, 'but why is she living all alone with her brother? Maybe something happened to her parents,' she gave a rueful laugh at that. Maybe she had more in common with the feisty Sango then she originally thought. After running a quick brush through her hair, she padded out the doorway and into the kitchen where Inuyasha stood leaning over a counter, a coffee in his hand.
"So I see my idea worked then," he grinned cockily. "Pretty ingenious if I do say so myself," Kagome snorted at his boasting.
"Somebody took an I love me pill this morning," she griped, groping around a bit for a glass of her own.
"Ah, and I see somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed as well. You aren't a morning person are you?"
"You think," grumbled a sarcastic Kagome who had finally selected the drink of her choice, pure untainted orange juice, pulp and all. Yum. She thought back on her few reflections earlier that morning and entertained the idea of maybe being a little nicer to Inuyasha, at least for a little while. He had done her quite a few nice turns, and it couldn't hurt to try to befriend him after all the trouble he'd gone through. She shot a smile at him and he returned a surprised smirk. At least she was getting somewhere.
Reaching for a donut he had laid out for her before her arrival, she turned to face the hanyou. "So, what are you doing today?" she asked politely, making a point not to say WE as she knew he would only get angry, and she was trying her hardest not to start a fight. God knows this wouldn't be easy.
Inuyasha looked uncomfortable for a moment, almost as if he were debating whether or not he wanted to allow his next words to escape from his lips. "I dunno, I was thinking that if you were bored you might want to go catch a movie or something," he trailed off, acting as if that sentence were the hardest he ever had forced himself to say. He hadn't planned on spending any time with the girl at all, but after his recent conversation with Miroku he figured the least he could do was show her a little respect. Maybe the pervert was right; maybe there was a potential friendship there after all.
Kagome shifted her arms, trying to look anywhere but at the man in front of her. "Um, what do you mean by catching a movie together?" she asked timidly, hoping it didn't come across as suspicious.
Inuyasha hadn't seen that one coming, and he mentally slapped himself. He needed to learn to watch how he phrased his sentences. "No, no, no, nothing like that. Just as two people who are unrealistically bored and want to get out of their cramped house".
"You call this place cramped? It's huge!" protested Kagome, attempting to change the topic. She had felt an enormous relief at his words; however, she wasn't sure WHAT she would have said if his answer had been otherwise.
Inuyasha (who was also quite pleased with the change of subject) responded with his usual arrogance back intact. "Nothing compared to my place in Palm Springs. That pad's got the works. Beach, golf, girls, it's the perfect life!"
"You golf?" Kagome asked incredulously. She could NOT see Inuyasha golfing, but who knew? Maybe the man had a hidden talent.
"Heck no, that sport is for cranky old men! I just like to drive the little cars around and terrorize the wussies," he gave a short laugh at that, and Kagome just rolled her eyes. He was SO stereotypical, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her angry.
"So what movie do you want to go see anyway?" she queried. Knowing Inuyasha it would be some horror film full of gore and half naked ladies. She hadn't been far off.
"Rice Cannibals Two: the classic horror film full of gore and half naked ladies. That ok with you?"
Kagome blinked then rolled her eyes at the hanyou. "Spare me please".
"You don't appreciate good movies. What do YOU want to see then?" he'd bet anything it was some sappy romance film.
"You Broke up with My Ex Girlfriend's Great Uncle! It's supposed to be an excellent movie with heart wrenching drama and romance. Just my thing!" she smiled brightly, her eyes glazing over with glee. Inuyasha snapped in front of her face a few times to draw her out of her trance, and eventually she did just that. "So, whaddaya think?"
"I think you need to visit a mental institution".
Kagome crossed her arms. "Fine, insult my good taste," she paused in thought for a moment. "Wait, Sango told me of another movie that recently came out. It's supposed to be a cross between action and romance, and yes there are most likely half naked ladies in it," well that did it for Inuyasha. He was hooked no matter WHAT the movie was. "I think she called it "My Girlfriend's Ex: Cannibal of Death". It sounds sorta interesting I guess," she shrugged. "You in?"
"Well it probably isn't as good as Cannibal Two, but what the hell. Let's go!"
"This'll be fun!" chirped Kagome as she took a bite out of her donut. It might actually have been worth it to wake up so early!
~*~
"This is not fun," Kagome shuddered against her seat at the sight of the cannibal transvestite. She had expected the movie to be a little odd, but she had not been expecting THIS.
"Most definitely not fun," Inuyasha agreed, this movie had scared him more then any horror film had ever been able to.
Inuyasha and Kagome both made a silent agreement to NEVER come to the movie theater again without KNOWING what you were watching beforehand, and to NEVER trust Sango's taste. The two had just spent the last hour in utter horror as they watched the STRANGEST movie they'd ever seen in their lives. It wasn't particularly full of action and it CERTAINLY wasn't full of romance, but it was the scariest thing either of them had ever seen in their lives, even stranger then the hippie alien movie they had watched with Miroku (and that was saying a lot)!
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked fearfully.
"Yeah?" he answered back carefully, trying to keep his usual tone intact.
"Can we like, get out of here?"
"I was just about to suggest that actually," and with that the two of them quietly made their way out of the crowded theater, both wondering to themselves how this movie had managed to pick up so many viewers. Maybe messed up people like Sango were all alike.
When they had both finally vacated themselves from the theater, they turned to stare at the city around them. They had the freedom to do almost anything they wanted, but the decision lay with them.
"So what do you wanna do now?" Inuyasha questioned drolly.
"MOCHA FRAPPACINO!" Kagome jumped up with a clap of her hands and shot Inuyasha a pleading look. Inuyasha sighed and turned toward the direction of the coffee shop, Kagome trailing behind him like a dog. He imagined the raven haired girl on a leash under his complete control and he laughed in spite of himself. He liked that image.
"For some reason it doesn't feel like...you," Kagome said thoughtfully. "You look so different!"
"The hat and sunglasses may have something to do with it," Inuyasha stated dryly, a bit tired of Kagome's cheerfulness.
"I miss your ears!"
"You wha-?" Inuyasha shot her a strange look.
"They're like Buyo's! They're so cute!" she squealed, picturing the soft puppy ears in question. Inuyasha's own ears lay flat against his head at this statement, even if Kagome couldn't see it through his baseball cap. He had to disguise himself at least a bit when spending a day in the city, but he didn't need to go all out. It wasn't THAT big of a deal when someone recognized him, unless it was the paparazzi. Inuyasha remembered the day weeks before when they had chased him into a coffeeshop, the very one the two were headed to now in fact. It was there that he had first come upon Kagome, and he still wasn't sure whether he regretted it or not. Realization dawned upon him; he still needed to pay her back for that little incident! But not now, he would wait till later to spring payback on her.
The two meandered silently along until they came upon the cozy shop, and Inuyasha pushed open the door with ease. A bell chimed overhead, and a grin lit up Kagome's face. This place was just so cute!
They stepped up to the counter to place their orders, and Kagome was quite thankful that this cashier was different from the last. She wouldn't have been able to stand the embarrassment if it had been the same man.
"Two mocha frappacinos please," Inuyasha stated in a slightly higher voice then usual, causing Kagome to shoot him an odd look and him to silence her with a grunt.
"Right away sir. Say, have I seen you somewhere before?" he narrowed his eyes quizzically and Inuyasha shook his head violently.
"No um, I just move here. This my first night in America. Beautiful country you have. Very thankful am I to be here," he bowed his head toward the man who gave him a very odd look. He shrugged then turned back toward the register. He came across these sorts of pranksters every day; it was nothing new to him.
"Here you are," he handed the two their drinks and Inuyasha made his way to a slightly secluded table, a sheepish Kagome following behind. Once the two had finally gotten comfortable in their vinyl seats, Kagome leaned across the table toward Inuyasha to grab his attention.
"What the heck was that?" she demanded.
"That?"
"Yes, that. The 'I not from America' bit. You sounded like a squirrel," she leaned back and calmly took a sip of her mocha, savoring its flavor in her mouth.
"It's not like people don't know my voice. He was already beginning to suspect, I had to do SOMETHING. I didn't want the paparazzi giving me a repeat of a few weeks ago," he grinned ruefully, remembering the incident with Kagome. No bizarre news reports had appeared yet, but he was sure some were bound to eventually. They were probably just waiting for the right time, or the right story to tie it in with.
Kagome interrupted his thoughts with another comment. "You look like you're from the mafia," she took another sip. "You should wear a trench coat with that outfit, that would be a riot. Better yet, wear a ski mask while you're at it. Think of the headlines," she made an imaginary marquee with her fingers. "Inuyasha: Master of Disguise" she giggled. "I'd use every last penny I had to buy THAT issue," she laughed again.
"I actually wanted to be in the mafia when I was little," Inuyasha stated calmly, as if that were as normal as wanting to be a fireman.
Kagome almost spit out a mouthful of mocha. "You WHAT?" she gasped incredulously.
"I wanted to in the mafia. That or I wanted to be the leader of some badass gang with AK-47s and all the money we could rob. Either would have been fine with me," again, the most normal thing in the world.
"I don't think I feel safe here anymore".
"Oh relax, that was when I was six. I outgrew that by the second grade".
Kagome idly wondered how a second grader had even known what the mafia was, but boys were very strange creatures back then, with empty heads and hands full of cooties. Yup, those were the days. She leaned back in her chair and took another sip of her favorite drink. She looked across the table to see Inuyasha mirroring her actions, and a new realization dawned on her.
"Hey, you like mocha frappacinos?"
"No, I just saw what you wanted and HAD to get one because you're such a trendsetter," he rolled his eyes sarcastically at her but shot her a surprised look when the only response he received was a smile and squeal of delight.
"Yay! We actually have something in common! I was so worried that you and I were SO different that we'd eventually end up murdering each other! But now that we have something in common we can put our differences aside and become two big happy families!" she gave a short girlish laugh and went back to absorbing herself in her drink, ignoring the fact that Inuyasha was looking at her as if she had grown an extra head.
"Yeah, we can form a fanclub for mocha frappacino lovers everywhere," he said with a mixture of sarcasm and incredulity.
"That would be really cool! I call president!"
"Says who? I should be president!" he hadn't been serious in his suggestion, but he damn well wasn't gonna let her run this silly charade!
"Well I called it. Why should YOU get to be president?" she said in mock anger with her hands on her hips.
"Because I'm me".
"You mean because you're an arrogant and violent jerk who would run our club straight down to hell?"
"Damn straight," he crossed his arms with a haughty grin.
The two glanced at each other for a moment and Kagome burst out into giggles while Inuyasha let out a snort. A few heads turned to stare at them, but they retracted their gazes after a moment having found nothing interesting in the hanyou and human's conversation.
Kagome slurped up the last of her frappacino with some difficulty, sucking in her cheeks and creating a bit of noise as she did so. Inuyasha gave a short laugh at this. "You should have better manners in the presence of greatness," he shot her another smirk and she sent him an indignant look.
"You're right of course. How could I have been so slobbish in front of such a hot cashier?" she sent a little wink over her shoulder to the cashier in question, noting that he had missed the gesture entirely (which was her aim in the first place). Inuyasha sent her a look of horror, the guy had to be at least fifty!
"I'm just kidding!" she snorted. "You actually thought I was serious?" she dissolved into a fit of laughter, and Inuyasha fumed for a moment at being duped. He decided he needed to even up the score a bit, and he knew of a one way ticket to doing just that. The way to a girl's embarrassment is just that...embarrassment. A slow grin began to creep across his face as he began to formulate a plan in his mind. Oh yes, revenge would be very sweet, but he'd save it for later.
A finger snapped him out of his thoughts. "Earth to Inuyasha?"
"What do you want?"
"I want to know what you're planning!" Kagome gave him a suspicious glance, and Inuyasha tried not to appear guilty.
"Planning? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You heard me. You had this look on your face, like this," she glazed her eyes over and shot him a really creepy grin. He winced in spite of himself.
"I don't look anything like that!"
"Wanna bet?" she shot him a challenging glare, and the one thing Inuyasha could never resist was a challenge.
"Hey," she said quietly, appearing to simmer down a bit. "Race you back to the apartment!" her voice loudened and she dashed out of her chair in mere instants, preparing for a speedy getaway. Inuyasha stayed put, but only for a moment. The familiar vibe of competition ran through him, and he dashed out of his chair after her, leaving a surprised cashier in the dust. He snorted, was she really so stupid to think she could beat him? He was, after all, a hanyou. In mere seconds he had caught up to the feisty girl who had no idea he was anywhere near. Quietly he ran behind her for a few moments then, while she was still running full speed, he wrapped an arm around her from behind and pulled her back. The impact was enough to send them both toppling to the ground beside each other, Kagome landing face down and Inuyasha face up. After a few silent seconds, Inuyasha got to his feet slowly, brushing himself off as he did so. He offered Kagome a hand up and she took it without saying a word. After the two were finally on their feet, Inuyasha gave Kagome a wary look. She was a very unpredictable girl, he wasn't really sure whether she would laugh or yell at him. He lapsed into relief when he heard a tiny giggle emit from her that soon turned into full out laughter. Eventually he found himself laughing a bit too, and they sat there laughing for what seemed like ages (but it really wasn't any more then a minute). A few people stopped to give them funny looks, they did, after all, look a bit odd standing in the middle of the sidewalk laughing maniacally.
Finally their laughter ceased and they lapsed into comfortable silence. After a few seconds, Kagome spoke up. "So what do you want to do now?" she asked pleasantly, and Inuyasha shot her a suspicious grin.
"What I always do in my spare time".
"And that would be-," Kagome began for him.
A wide smile took over the hanyou's face. "Spy on Miroku".
~*~
"MIROKU, WAKE UP!" a feisty Sango stood over a large bed with her hands on her hips, glaring at the man it held. Normally she couldn't care less whether or not Miroku was awake, seeing as all he did was make her life a living hell. But Inuyasha had gone with that new girl, Kagome, and she was unreasonably bored. She'd have to be if she'd even consider the idea of waking Miroku up, since asleep was usually how she liked him best, other then paralyzed. She was surprised that he was asleep, usually he was up with the sun. She never knew why, since he didn't have an alarm clock as far as she knew. She quickly drifted out of her thoughts, though, when she felt a hand touch her in a place that was normally left untouched.
"MIROKU!" she yelled angrily, slapping him across the cheek.
"Wha-? Sango, what are you doing here so late at night?" his brain registered what he'd just said and a perverted grin lit up his face, despite the fact that he was only just waking up. "Why Sango I'd be happy to," he began but was cut off before he was able to finish.
"Save it, pervert, I'm in no mood. And for your information it's three in the afternoon. How you managed to sleep in so long I have no idea, but for god's sake wake up! It's been so BORING around here today," she said sourly, annoyed with Miroku's usual good morning greeting. 'Why did I get myself into this?' she groaned inwardly. 'It's just gonna be another one of those days'.
Miroku sat up with a jolt. "Three in the afternoon?" he yelped, then began to simmer down. "I, too, wonder how I managed to sleep in this long. May I inquire as to where Inuyasha is?"
"Quit being so formal, it got old a long time ago," she griped, obviously not in a good mood. "Inuyasha went somewhere with the Kagome girl, he didn't say when he'd be back".
"Ahh, I see," he didn't let on but secretly he was quite happy that Inuyasha had chosen to spend the day with Kagome. Maybe their conversation had meant something to the hanyou after all. "So why are you here if not to," he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Can it Miroku. I'm only here because it's incredibly boring without Inuyasha around".
"All right then. Well now that I am awake, what do you say we take advantage of our good fortune and spend the evening at the Hard Rock Café? Does that sound entertaining?" he appeared totally calm, but inside he was really hoping she'd agree. A night with Sango alone was something he hadn't had in a long time, not with Inuyasha around. Sure he meant well, but had he ever heard the expression "three's a crowd?"
Sango sighed. A night with only Miroku? Usually it was the three of them: her, Miroku, and Inuyasha. She wasn't sure how the night would go if only Miroku were around, he had a tendency to let his hands wander a little too often for her taste. Still, she was incredibly bored and she did love the Hard Rock. "Sure, why not?" she answered dully, still not entirely sure whether this was a good idea.
"Surely you jest," Miroku looked positively thrilled at the idea of her acceptance. "You seriously wish to come?"
"I'll come under one condition. If you try anything idiotic, oh don't give me that look Miroku, you know exactly what I mean," she chided Miroku, who was failing to look innocent. "If you try anything, I swear I will not hesitate to try out my latest moves on you," she shot him a look only to see a perverted grin appearing on his face. "Taekwondo moves, damnit!"
"I was only joking with you, my dear Sango. Shall we go?" he offered her his arm and after a short internal debate she took it with a look of mock disgust.
"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" and with that the two of them left the building, both ignoring the two figures huddled directly outside their doorway. Once they were gone an amazed Inuyasha fell over laughing, and a surprised Kagome was coming quite close.
"Sango is going with Miroku on a d-date?" she choked out through muffled laughs.
"Wonders never cease," said an equally laughing Inuyasha, and the two of them sat on the ground laughing for a few minutes more. They had done quite a lot of that in the past few hours, and Kagome was sure her vocal cords would regret it the next day. After awhile their laughter slowly died down, and they silently headed back to their apartment, sure if they looked at one another they would burst into laughter again. Neither paid any attention the eyes that lay right outside a nearby window as they followed the pair's every move. Maybe, if they hadn't been so preoccupied, they would have suspected something, or maybe they would have clued themselves in onto the fact that the eyes were a bright, bright red.
A/N: There you go. A long InuKag chappie with a little MirSan, though I'm not sure if I did them justice. Don't let this chapter fool you, though, Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship is about to go straight downhill in the next few chapters as they begin to solve the mysteries of each other's lives.
Again, thanks so much to those who review! I'm actually about to start another fic (non AU) revolving around the InuKagKik love triangle...InuKag of course but Kikyo friendly. It's an idea I've been wanting to do for awhile now but never had the time nor patience. Now that Im on spring break I have both, so why not? Hope you check it out when I start it!