Disclaimer: I'm not in the mood to be clever so I'm just leaving a simple "I don't own it". ^_^
A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in awhile! Thank Alana-star, 'cuz she's the one who finally made me get off my lazy butt to update ^_^ Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and just as a warning, there're a lot of scene changes. Sorry if you get confused at all! On with chapter 5!
Ch. 5Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she brushed her hair in front of the bathroom mirror.
Inuyasha crept up behind her, his hands jammed in his pockets. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Getting ready for my date," Kagome replied. She continued to brush her hair.
"What's a 'date'?" He asked. His head cocked slightly to the side.
Kagome set the brush onto the table, "A date is when a guy and a girl go out to have fun. I'm going on my date in five minutes so I have to hurry."
"Wha…? You're going to be alone with that Hobo guy?! What if he tries something?" He argued heatedly.
"His name is Houjou, and no, we're not going to be alone. There'll be lots of people around, but it's still just us two. And again, no, he will not try anything."
"How are you so sure?" He scowled.
"Didn't we go over this before? He's not smart enough to try something."
Inuyasha gave a fanged grin.
This time, Kagome scowled, "Wipe that smirk off your face. He might not be smart, but he's still sweet and considerate, unlike some people."
Inuyasha's frown returned, "What's that supposed to mean?"
The doorbell rang.
"Oh, that must be Houjou now! Well, see you in a few hours, Inuyasha. Don't destroy anything while I'm gone." She said, a fake smiled plastered over her face, before she marched toward the door.
"Oi! Kagome! You never answered my question! And who said you could go? Kagome? Kagome!"
*
"Hello, Houjou," Kagome smiled at the young man, standing beside his car.
He returned her smile, along with a small blush. Politely, he opened the door of his car for her. "Good day, Higurashi-san. I hope you're well?"
"I'm doing fine, thank you," Kagome replied.
Houjou shut the door and almost skipped to his side of the car in excitement. He was actually going out with Kagome on a date! They hadn't done this since high school. Maybe she was finally giving him a chance.
Silently humming a happy tune, he started up the engine of his car and away to the movies they went.
Inuyasha growled lightly from his position by the window, as he watched the car pull away. Who did that prick think he was? Coming in and taking Kagome away like that?
An idea sparked in his head and he brought the bottom of his fist to his hand, a stubborn look on his face. He was going after her. Why shouldn't he after all? She was his human. He had to protect her. With that in mind, after pushing away all voices of rational thought, he dashed to the door.
Once out of the room, he looked left, and then right.
"Which way was the elevator, again?" He muttered to himself.
"Oh, hello! You must be Kagome's youkai. I'm Rin." A voice sounded from behind.
He whipped around to see a woman in possibly her late twenties or early thirties. She wore a simple blouse and skirt and wore a kind smile across her face. Next to her, stood a tall inu youkai with long silver hair like his own. Purple stripes slashed his cheeks and a crescent moon was imprinted on his forehead.
"Going out without your human, half-breed bastard?" Inuyasha flinched at the cynical tone of the youkai's voice.
"What of it?" He replied defensively.
The youkai stayed silent and gave him an almost accessing look before saying, "Down the hall, to your left."
Inuyasha stared at him.
Without warning, the youkai turned around and stalked away, forcing Rin to follow him. Giving a shrug, he followed his directions and made his way to the elevator.
In no time at all, he was outside, jumping from housetop to housetop, in pursuit of his human's scent.
*
"What movie would you like to see, Higurashi-san?"
"It doesn't matter, you can choose."
A grin split his face, "Okay, then! How about "Sludge Monster V: The Return of the Sludge Monster"? I've been wanting to see that movie ever since they showed the previews!"
"… Sure…"
Houjou paid for the tickets eagerly and led her into the theater. Together they found two seats in the near back of the room. Houjou pulled out a bag of popcorn from his backpack. "Cheaper," he winked at her.
Her eyebrow arched. "Ah…"
The lights dimmed. "The movie's starting!"
After only ten minutes into the movie, Kagome already began to dislike it. There was almost no plot and the acting was atrocious. Whoever directed this film had no apparent grasp on reality. Kagome stared dully at the screen as she watched the main actress (Was she really the main actress? There seemed to be five of them… Kagome thought to herself.) give a fake scream of horror.
"Oh John, my love! Watch out! The sludge monster…! It… it's behind you!" The woman gave a dramatic gasp.
Kagome gave a sideways glance to her date. He seemed captivated by the movie. Kagome raised an eyebrow. He couldn't possibly be enjoying this…?
She returned her eyes to the movie to see the 'sludge monster' jump onto 'John' with a loud squishing sound. Her vision blurred as she stared at the screen. She didn't think she'd ever been more bored in her entire life…
*
"Where the hell is she?!" Inuyasha gave a scream of frustration. He'd been searching for hours, combing through the streets, in the hopes of finding her and berating her for running off. He tugged at his hair angrily before lifting his nose for the umpteenth time in the attempt to sniff her out.
Suddenly, he smelt it. A small wisp of her scent just barely hung on to a young man on the street below him. He jumped down from the housetop and landed in front of him, dislodging a shout of surprise from the boy's throat.
"Where is Kagome?" He demanded, fisting the boy's shirt in his hand.
"Wh-who are you? Wha-what do you want?" He stuttered, his eyes wide.
"Are you deaf or something?! I asked you where Kagome is!" Inuyasha growled.
The boy just stared at him.
Shit. I forgot people can't hear me. It's only freaks like Kagome who can do that…"L-look, buddy. I don't want no trouble! I just came from the theaters. I didn't do nothin' wrong!" The young man held up his hands as if to calm the crazy, mute man that held him by the front of his shirt.
A light bulb went off in his head. The movies! That stupid idiot Houjou had mentioned about going to the movies (whatever that was). Apparently, these 'movies' had something to do with these 'theaters'. He'd just have to trace the scent of this human back to the 'theaters' to find Kagome.
He let go of the boy's shirt and shot off in the direction the boy had come from.
The boy smoothed down his wrinkled shirt. What a weirdo.
*
The sludge monster was now turning its attention to the city, making quick work of the side stands and light posts. Small mountains of sludge and slime trailed in its wake. He was heading toward the heart of the city.
Kagome gasped. But what if he threatened the chipmunks?! She shook her head. No, he wouldn't. Beethoven had promised her he would protect them. And if that failed, he would hand them over to the purple monkeys.
Wait a minute…
"Higurashi-san! Higurashi-san!"
Kagome jumped up and shouted, "Save the chipmunks!"
Houjou looked at her strangely, "Um… Are you okay, Higurashi-san?"
She looked slightly disoriented. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Well… you fell asleep. The movie's over."
"Really? That was fast." Her eyes took in the deserted theater, only a few people stuck around to watch the credits.
"Um… The movie was three hours long." Houjou cocked his head slightly to the side, as if questioning her mental health.
"…Right."
"I guess we should get out of here, huh? I'll take you home."
"Okay."
He led her out of the movie room, holding firmly onto her hand, even as she discreetly tried to pull away. He deposited his empty bag of popcorn into the trash bin on the way out.
Houjou was about to say something to her, when someone ran smack into her, sending her to the ground. But before she crash onto the pavement, a hand reached out to catch her arm.
"Kagome!" A very familiar voice barked angrily.
Oh, dear… Kagome looked up.
"Higurashi-san, are you alright?" Houjou asked worriedly before looking at the hanyou. "Hey, isn't that your youkai? What's he doing out here in the open?!"
"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, her lips turning in a frown.
"Feh. I was looking for you, bitch, since you decided to ditch me all of the sudden." He released her wrist and crossed his arms over his chest.
"You were supposed to stay in the apartment, dimwit."
"Hey!"
"Higurashi-san, what are you doing?" Houjou asked alarmed, when his date started to have a one-sided conversation.
Inuyasha and Kagome both looked at him at the same time.
"Oh! Um… uh… I w-was just… no-nothing, Houjou." Kagome stuttered in embarrassment. Her cheeks reddened.
Inuyasha smirked.
Houjou just looked confused.
Kagome narrowed her eyebrows at the smirking hanyou. "You~u… Inuyasha, you wipe that smi— " Kagome abruptly stopped herself when she realized she was doing it again. She turned to Houjou and gave a nervous laugh. "Well, Houjou, I had a great time tonight, but hey, look at the time!" She held up her arm and tapped a nonexistent watch on her wrist. "I've got to go. It was… er… nice seeing you again!"
Houjou seemed a bit sad, but perked right up, "Maybe we can do this again sometime!"
"… Maybe…" She was well aware of the growling hanyou by her side.
"Come on, Kagome, let's go," Inuyasha grabbed her elbow and lifted her into his arms, hooking her knees over his left arm and clutching her shoulder with his right hand. She gave a squeak of protest, but it was soon muffled as he jumped away.
Houjou sighed. That Kagome really needed to put leash on the beast.
*
He was angry. She could tell. An even-deeper-than-usual scowl graced his face and his chest was lightly rumbling in anger. But what in the world was he angry about?! She told him that she would be going on a date. Why did he have a problem with that?
Before she knew it, they were back at the apartment complex. He tapped his foot impatiently for her to pull out her key. Once inside of her apartment, Inuyasha rounded on her furiously, but before he could speak, Kagome pushed his chest roughly with both her hands.
"What do you think you were doing?!" She yelled shrilly. "I told you I was going on a date! I have my own life you know!"
"Hey! I told you not to go! I— "
"Shut it, Inuyasha! I don't want to hear what you have to say! You're still my youkai! Who said you could tell me what to do?" Of course, she was kind of glad he had come. Houjou probably would have dragged her off elsewhere, and to be truthful, he was probably the most boring person she'd ever met. Of course, she'd rather run around her apartment screaming bloody murder than tell him that.
"I said I could tell you what to do! You didn't have a good time, did you? Did you? Just admit it! You should have listened to me!"
"Look, if I want to go out with him, then it's my choice! For your information, I wanted to go out with him!" Of course a little white lie never hurt…
"Hah! Yeah, right! You were probably bored out of your skull!"
"As if! I was having the time of my life!"
"You suck at lying," Inuyasha sneered.
"Inuyasha!" She screeched. "I have control over my life! Not you! I've given you the freedom to do as you please, and this is how you repay me?! I should have let you chained and manacled!" The moment those words left her lips, she knew she'd gone too far.
Inuyasha didn't say anything for several minutes. Slowly, he hung his head.
"So… you're just like the others."
"Inuya— "
"I don't want to hear it." He muttered in a low voice before turning to leave.
"Inuyasha! Don't you dare leave!" Kagome commanded, grabbing on to his wrist.
"Leave me alone, bitch! I don't need you!" Angrily, he tore her hand from him and began to stalk away.
Kagome couldn't stand it anymore. Why did they always have to fight? "I'm sorry!" She suddenly shouted out.
He stopped, though his back was still turned.
"I-I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean what I said. "Sometimes, things just… come out, and… I just didn't mean it. I would never, ever chain you up again. You have my promise."
He didn't say anything for a long time. Then…
"How do I know you won't betray that promise?" He asked.
Kagome was about to blow up at him for his distrust, but she thought better of it. She walked over to him and turned him so that he faced her. She reached up with her hands and gently held the dangerous chain necklace that was around his neck.
"This," she said, looking into his eyes, "is a symbol of my ownership over you." Carefully, she pulled it off his neck and tossed it to the side. "Now, you are free to do whatever you want."
Without another word, she turned her back to him and made a beeline for her room.
"Wait!" He called out, a slight waver was in his tone. "I…" Tell her you forgive her, you moron! A voice in his head barked. But something, maybe his pride, told the voice to shove it. "I thought you weren't supposed to take that off." He offered lamely.
Kagome gave him one last look over the shoulder. "I'm not."
Inuyasha watched her walk away helplessly. He had known that he'd crossed a fine line, then. He shouldn't have assumed she would've locked him up just because of a silly argument. Now it was up to him to repair their broken friendship.
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A/N: IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Well, I've come to a decision about this story that I'm sure you guys won't like. Heh, I can see the grimaces already. But schoolwork has been piling up on me, and I can't manage four stories at a time (I don't know WHAT made me think I could in the first place =P). So I am going to put this story on hiatus. ::dodges rotten tomatoes::
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But life's getting hectic and I feel SO bad for leaving No Longer Alone on SUCH a FREAKING long break. I need to get back to that and finish Owarinai Yume. There's one more chapter for OY and an estimated five chapters for NLA. I'm going to try to get most of NLA done before I start on this one again. And I also want to rewrite part of this story, because I think I rushed it too much. I was thinking of deleting it entirely and then rewriting the whole thing, but that would be worse for you guys, so I decided to just put it on hiatus. I'm really sorry! I hope you guys can forgive me.
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Review Responses~*~*~
Ganko: Hey! Thanks for the review. Anyway, yea, Kagome can talk to Inuyasha because she just can, not because he's half human. And I don't know when I'll be putting in Miroku (I put in Sango in the first chapter). He'll probably be human. But that's not set in stone yet. I hope you liked this chapter and that you can forgive me! ::gives puppy eyes:: X-with stars: Thanks for reviewing! Flu huh? That sucks. But you're probably better by now… I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. The month really flew by! MIkki-inu-luva: Hee hee, thank you! I'm glad you like it so much! And yeah, I'm a fan of fluff too. Just can't stay away from the stuff… fay-of-faerie: Thanks! They are getting longer aren't they! The first chapter was only like a little more than 1000 words, which embarrassed me when I first found out. I try to get them as long as I can. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ChristyKay: Thank you! Well, you sure made me happy! Hmm… Nghi told you to read this? Strange… I never got a review from her. It is a her, isn't it? Somehow, girls are more into writing fanfiction than boys ^_^ The male gender lacks enough intelligence to write. LOL. I'm just kidding. They're not that dumb. By the way, tell Nghi I said thanks! Shadowspinner1: ^_^; Well I guess I asked for it. Thanks for the… er… review? Shatteredjade: Haha, well I was thinking of doing something like that anyway. You see the result in the above chapter. Of course Houjou is dense enough to blow it off. Thank you for the review and suggestion! AnimeBrat: Omg, thanks so much! You must want to kill me now, huh? U_U I'm sorry, but life really is getting hectic (I hate high school). But if you think this fic is the best, you have obviously not read any of Rosefire1's stories. ::gasps:: You haven't?! Then what are you doing here??? Shoo! Go read her fics! And if you have already… er… go read them again! LOL. Comicfancat: LOL. Thanks. Don't be so hard on Houjou! He's just… stupid. Thank you for the review and I hoped you enjoyed this one! Lovethestory: Wow! Thanks! I suppose I should take your penname as a compliment too! LOL.
Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you'll still read my story after I get over the hiatus. Don't worry, I won't take like a year, or something, but I appreciate all the reviews you guys have given me! You guys are the best! Bye!