Author's notes: I'm sorry this took so long. I really have no excuse except that I'm a lazy ass. bows gomen. Oh, also, because of my lack of creativity, the fighting scene in this story shall be cut short…once again, I'm sorry, but I'm really bad at fighting scenes.

Quiet Temptations

Chapter five

It had been a few days since Inu yasha and Kagome's fight and apology. Things had been very easy for the two, Inu yasha spent his nights protecting Kagome and Kagome spent her nights sleeping. Kagome spent her days going on walks and helping Kaede with Miko work while Inu yasha watched her from afar, protecting her with his life.

The bright noonday sun shown brightly in the clear blue sky and Kagome shadowed her eyes with her hand, searching the landscape for a flash of red. Sure enough, the familiar hanyou was seen lounging in the shadows of his favorite tree, the light filtering through the leaves and casting an eerie greenish light on the silver hair of the hanyou. Kagome smiled and walked towards him, her hands firmly clasped behind her back and her warm smile brightening the already warm day.

Inu yasha opened his golden eyes as Kagome's sweet scent wafted around him and his ears twitched towards her. He felt his heart quicken as he laid eyes on her bright smile, her glowing eyes, and her happy demeanor.

"What?" he asked, a little harsher than he meant, but Kagome remained unfazed, understanding the hanyou's tough guy exterior.

"Its nothing, I just wanted to come and say hi," Kagome said with a shake of her head, causing her hair to flutter around her, framing her beautifully curved face, her bright blue eyes sparkling happy.

Inu yasha scowled and hopped from the tree, landing in front of her. "Feh."

Kagome giggled and her cheeks burned a slight pink as the hanyou suddenly appeared in front of her, towering above her and making her feel very small. Her heartbeat sped up a little and she smiled up at him. "Hello."

"Hi…" Inu yasha said and allowed a small smirk to grace his face, his eyebrows relaxing. Kagome smiled then blushed, realizing how close she was to Inu yasha's face.

Inu yasha blinked in surprise before a small blush appeared on his face.

Kagome licked her lips and began to say, "Inu—"

"Oi! Dog Turd!" called a voice behind Kagome, causing Inu yasha to jump away from said schoolgirl and growl. "What are you doing near my woman, mutt face?"

Kagome gasped and spun around to look at the wolf prince, who stood cockily in front of her, his arms folded and one hip slightly above the other as he stood in a seductive posture. "Hey Kagome," he smirked.

"Kouga-kun," Kagome blinked in surprise. She hadn't seen the wolf prince since the fight with Naraku, after she had taken away his shikon shards.

"God damn it, you stupid wolf, what the fuck are you doing here?" Inu yasha snarled and his hand grabbed his Tetsusaiga threateningly.

Kagome sent him a glare but he ignored her, his golden eyes challenging the azure blue eyes of Kouga.

"Here to get my woman," Kouga said, a smirk on his face, sporting a small pointed fang. "I told you I'd come and get her after Naraku was dead. And he is, so its time for us to return to the pack, dearest Kagome." Kouga grinned, looking suave and very full of him self. Kagome paled and looked between the raging hanyou and the cool and collected Kouga.

'This isn't good,' Kagome thought dryly as Inu yasha drew her sword. Her eyes widened as the blade transformed,

"Inu yasha don't!"

"Feh, shut up Kagome, I've got to do this!" Inu yasha snapped back and glared at Kouga, and unreadable expression on his face. He gripped his father's fang and turned his heated gaze towards the wolf youkai, who stood upright with his arms crossed over his chest.

Inu yasha growled softly and readied his sword. "Oi, you stupid wolf, I'll give you one last chance to get the fuck out of here and leave Kagome alone."

"Not a chance mutt face." Kouga barked and crouched down, ready to attack.

As usual, it was Inu yasha who charged first, his sword at a ready position, poised to slice the wolf youkai in half. The wolf prince dodged, though without the added boost of his shikon shards, he was much slower.

"You fucking pansy, you're a lot slower than before," Inu yasha smirked and flung his sword towards the wolf.

Kouga dodged, a small bead of sweat starting to form at his brow. "Fuck you, dog turd, I can still kick your ass without the shards."

"Not likely!" Inu yasha barked.

Kagome gripped her fists and with a small squeak shouted, "Osuwari!"

Nothing happened. Kagome blinked and then cursed herself for removing the rosary from around the hanyou's neck. That truly was a stupid move, not only had she broken the connection between them, she couldn't control the hanyou any more.

Kagome felt a small pang in her heart at that thought. 'Control him…?' she looked towards the hanyou as he fought with the youkai. 'I never wanted to…control him. But now that I think about it, that's exactly what I was doing. I was holding Inu yasha on a lease.' Thinking of it that way, Kagome couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself and she lowered her eyes.

Meanwhile, Inu yasha felt a familiar pulse near his arm and a soft glow illuminated from his haori sleeve. With a side-glance, he noticed the glowing rosary beads. 'Heh, so the beads still work…' He grinned. Though the feeling of Kagome near him had been shattered along with the rosary thread, he was glad to know that he could fight the stupid wolf like he'd wished he could do for a long while.

The dodging was starting to wear thin at the wolf's adrenaline, as he sloppily dodged the hanyou's quick as lightning attacks. The demi youkai had become more skilled over the past year, and it was evident now without the advantage of the shikon shards.

"Why do you care if I take Kagome, dog turd? She'll be out of your hair," Kouga said silkily as he continued to dodge, throwing punches and kicks here and there. "You can have the fucking jewel all for yourself, and I'll take Kagome. It's a fair trade."

"You won't touch her," Inu yasha glared.

"So does that mean I get the jewel?" Kouga smirked.

"Hell no," Inu yasha snapped angrily and blindly through a swing with his sword. It was easy for Kouga to dodge.

"Well that's hardly fair. Why should you keep Kagome when you 'have no feelings for her' and the jewel?" Kouga said, trying to make the hanyou crack and lose his concentration in the fight.

He failed and only succeeded in making Inu yasha even more pissed off.

Inu yasha charged the wolf demon yelling 'you fucking bastard' as his own mantra. He swung his sword around wildly, his golden eyes flashing a deep red before returning to the molten amber. "You will not touch Kagome. As long as I live, Kagome will NEVER leave with you."

Kagome stared in shock at the hanyou's declaration and felt her heart begin to beat rapidly. He wasn't seriously, was he? Had he really meant what she thought he meant? Or something else?

"Ho, so does the little hanyou have feelings for the Miko?" Kouga smirked, finding this enjoyable, excluding the fact he nearly got his head cut off by the hanyou's attempts to slaughter him. "What makes you think that a beautiful and powerful Miko would want to find companionship with a stupid hanyou? Hanyous shouldn't be able to live, they should all be killed and slaughtered when they take first breath."

Inu yasha seemed unfazed by this comment, having heard it many times before in his lifetime. Though the part about Kagome stirred something deep within him and he chanced a glance at the schoolgirl.

She was staring at Kouga in horror.

"Kouga-Kun," Kagome heard herself whisper, "How can you even think of killing a child?" 'Hanyou or not, it's a child. They have no choice of who or what they'll be'

Kagome felt anger starting to creep into her heart, anger for what Kouga had said…

And the fact that…

This must have been what Inu yasha went through.

"KAZE NO—"

But still, besides Kouga's heartless comment, she couldn't allow him to die. "No, Inu yasha, DON'T!" She yelled and ran forward, throwing herself towards the hanyou.

Inu yasha stopped mid swing, his haori sleeves fluttering in the wind he'd almost created. Kagome didn't notice the small object fall from behind the red fabric. Kouga stood in a petrified state of shock as his life flashed before his eyes. He'd been so close to dying…

"Kagome, thank you," Kouga walked towards her, "Without you I would have surely—"

"Kouga-Kun, I think its best that you leave," Kagome said coolly as she observed the wolf. She looked at Inu yasha, who looked like he was torn between an angry emotion or a crushed emotion. She had to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Kouga, please."

Kouga looked like he was on the verge of protesting but then saw the look flash through her blue eyes. He sighed, turned and began to run away. "I'll be back, Kagome!"

And then he was gone.

Inu yasha and Kagome stood in silence for a long moment before Kagome took a deep inhale of breath. "Inu ya—"

"You always fucking protect him," Inu yasha snapped, and his golden eyes turned towards her, flashing with an invisible fire.

"Inu—"

"Save it," He snapped, sheathed his sword, turned, and walked away.

Kagome watched his figure retreat into the forest, having no way to stop him.

Kagome took a step forward and felt her foot fall down on something round and hard. Blinking she knelt down and picked up the object. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was a bead from the rosary. Glancing around, she noticed a few had fallen on the ground and were reflecting the sun in the sky.

'But they fell in the forest, after I ripped them from Inu yasha,' Kagome protested silently.

"Wait…Inu yasha…" she said in disbelief and held them in her cupped hands. "He kept them."

She looked off towards where the hanyou had run off and stood, swallowing her discomfort and allowing her courage to overtake her. She had to ask the hanyou…she had to.