DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.
You're not Alone
By: Of Memories Past
Part VI
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Kagome chewed her bottom lip as she looked down at the key in her hand, and a quick glance up to the door in front of her sent her gaze right back down to the shiny, silver object. He had handed it to her the night before after receiving the shock of her life, telling her that she was free to use it anytime. "Don't hesitate to come if you need me," he had said. "Or if you just want to visit." She smiled slightly as the memory of him telling her that his home was her home entered her mind. Home. Yes, this place was home to her also. Home was wherever he was. And their home was together. A new resolve in her mind, Kagome got over the feeling that she was invading and pushed the key into the keyhole.
Shippo looked up from his drawing with a smile on his face as his favorite raven-haired human came through the door. "I'm glad that you decided to finally come in, Kagome." He got up and went to give her a hug. "Don't ever hesitate about it again!"
Kagome blushed slightly as she returned the hug. "I guess I have to get use to the idea that I can just walk in. I mean, what if I accidentally—" Her words stopped as Inuyasha turned around the corner wearing only a white towel. His long, wet black hair was plastered against his back as he unsuspectingly waltzed into the kitchen and to the refrigerator to take out a carton of milk. He lazily unscrewed the cap and raised the carton to his lips, not noticing that they had a visitor.
Shippo snickered. "Two points for Inuyasha."
The said of person stopped drinking and turned violet eyes to the laughing kitsune. He immediately found his mistake as a furiously red Kagome averted her gaze from the kitchen. Inuyasha suppressed a blush and instead turned and annoyed glance to Shippo.
"Two points?" He screwed the cap back onto the carton and placed it in the fridge. "Don't let it bother you," he told himself.
Ignoring the glare sent his way, Shippo merely smiled. "One point for Kagome here catching you in a towel. Two points for Kirara catching you drinking out of the milk carton again."
All the color immediately drained from Inuyasha's face as he looked across the living room only to find a tiny, yet steaming fire-cat standing in the entrance of the hallway. Her vibrant pink eyes burned angrily as she watched him carefully close the refrigerator. He was so dead.
A livid chirp erupted from the small fire-cat as she dashed across the living room and into the kitchen as quickly as lightning. That was the last time he would drink from the milk carton! She skidded across a floor mat, hot on the heels of the guilty party, chirping wildly the entire time.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, knew he was in for it as soon as he saw her coming. Last time she had caught him it ended up with him losing a lock of hair. So, Inuyasha did what any responsible, intelligent, full-grown man would do…he ran. And he ran hard.
Kagome watched with wide eyes as the two demons played a violent game of cat and mouse in the kitchen, bouncing off the countertops and the stove before bringing the chase out into the living room. She was secretly amazed at how Inuyasha kept the towel wrapped around him the entire time. A blur of black flew past her and another smaller blur of cream colored fur soon followed.
"What out for my drawing!" Shippo shouted to Inuyasha in the nick of time. The hanyou agilely leapt over the couch where the fox had previously been sketching.
However, Kirara knew the old "leap over the couch and get away" trick, and she had positioned herself on the other side, ready to snap as soon as he landed.
Inuyasha saw her in the nick of time, leaping far enough to somersault into the hallway as he hit the ground. The towel miraculously stayed in place.
"Does this happen often?" Kagome whispered to Shippo. The crashing and banging of random objects was heard in the back room where the two youkai currently battled.
Shippo shook his head. "Maybe one or twice a month."
"Oh."
That said, Inuyasha shot by them one final time, making a break for his room with an irate Kirara ready to chew his heels off. The pair disappeared around the corner, out of the spectators' sights. There was one final, loud, and angry shout before silence filled the apartment.
Not two seconds later, Kirara trotted into the kitchen, obviously pleased with herself as she came into sight with a white towel in her teeth. She pranced happily up to Kagome and dropped the object at her feet.
Kagome blushed and picked up the towel before lightly scratching Kirara's ears. "You are a mischievous one, aren't you?"
Kirara transformed into her childlike state and smirked. "I had fun." She walked over to Shippo and raised her arms to be picked up. "That will be the last time he does that." Her sweet, little face took on an annoyed look for just a moment before relaxing again. "I needed that for dinner tonight."
"Kirara!"
Three pairs of eyes looked up to see a half-dressed Inuyasha storming out of his room. He had removed the concealing necklace, so it was his fuming, amber eyes that met theirs as he marched right up to the small child.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" Kirara calmly faced him, showing not a care in the world in her fiery eyes.
Then hanyou growled, irate with the fact that his towel had literally been ripped off his body just for drinking out of the milk carton. "Don't. Do. That. Again," he stressed. He turned to Kagome and motioned for her to follow him back into his room.
"Nice ass," Kirara called out playfully, grinning widely when he froze in the hallway entrance.
Inuyasha slowly turned around, ignoring the blushing Kagome. He grinned impishly as his claws dug into the wall. "Kirara, I'm going to kill you." With that, he grabbed Kagome's hand and headed toward his room.
"Will you wear the towel when you do?"
Shippo stifled laughter at the fire-cat in his arms. She may have looked seven, but her language surely suggested otherwise.
The soft voice, however, had reached Inuyasha's sensitive ears. Kagome had to hold him back from charging right back into that room and letting Kirara have it.
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Kagome sat back and watched as Inuyasha violently buttoned his shirt and tucked it in. He was mumbling something not completely coherent about hiding Kirara's litter box and shaving her fur off while she slept, and was so involved with his thoughts that his claws accidentally caught on his shirt, successfully ripping a huge hole into it. He growled and threw the torn garment aside before dropping onto his bed, obviously frustrated.
"She's going to get it." He growled again as he reached for a comb and began yanking it through his long, silver hair. "Always manages to do something to piss me off."
Kagome suppressed a smile as the hanyou she had known for so long slowly resurfaced. Yes, he was more moody that way, but he was still the person she loved. She positioned herself behind him on the bed and took the comb from his hands, taking over the task of brushing out his hair.
"You need to relax," she soothed, gently running the comb through the fine, silver strands. "She does it just to get a reaction out of you."
He crossed his arms stubbornly and shut his eyes. "Feh, she always succeeds too. She knows all the buttons to push."
Kagome smirked. "Don't like losing your cover?"
Inuyasha scowled. "Not particularly."
Finishing with his hair, Kagome laid the comb aside and wrapped one arm across his chest and the other around his waist. "I really had fun last night. Thank you."
"Even after everything you found out?" he asked, relaxing into her touch. He was slightly surprised when Kagome took the initiative to move and sit in his lap, but he did not argue.
She slipped her arms around his neck. "Why would it bother me that you delivered me?"
He watched as she slightly tilted her head to the left, her large, brown eyes questioning him. He swallowed. She looked so cute sitting there with him, her lips slightly pursed as she waited patiently for an answer. Her lips. Unlike the crimson color she wore the previous night, they were now painted a soft, glossy pink, and they shined brilliantly in the dim lighting of his room. Not able to help himself, he leaned forward and lightly pressed his mouth against hers, gently grasping her bottom lip with is teeth as he pulled back.
"Just might," he whispered, searching her eyes. He noticed the rosy blush in her cheeks as she looked down, slowly raising a hand and gingerly touching her bottom lip. When her gaze met his again, he could see her eyes sparkling a bit.
"It doesn't bother me, Inuyasha," Kagome returned just as quietly. She gasped when he leaned forward suddenly, feeling the soft pressure of his lips against her neck. But she did not particularly want him to stop at the moment either. Tightening her arms around his neck, Kagome pulled him closer as he slowly made his way back to her lips, forcefully locking them with his. She took a sharp breath when he slipped his tongue between her teeth and began massaging the roof of her mouth, tasting as much of her as he could. A small noise escaped her as she blushed and pulled back. Again, she raised her hand to her lips, keeping her gaze down as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, giving her a small smile. "Too fast?"
"Of course it's too fast. She pulled back didn't she?"
Inuyasha and Kagome's eyes grew wide at the new voice that spoke up. Looking into the now opened doorway, the saw a tall man leaning against the frame, his arms crossed carelessly over his chest as he raised and eyebrow at them curiously.
Inuyasha growled and gently set Kagome aside. "Only you would have such great timing." He got up and crossed the room and pulling the man in, closed the door. "What do you want this early in the morning?"
Curiosity piqued in Kagome as she got a good look at the man. Short stands of dark, black hair hung chaotically in his eyes, giving him a rouge-like appearance. And those eyes. They were the same color as Inuyasha's when he was in his human form, only they were a bit more lavender. No questions asked, the unruffled man casually leaning against the wall was quite handsome.
"Inuyasha," Kagome asked, standing up and moving closer to get a better look. "Who is this?"
The man turned and looked at her. "You don't remember me?"
"You probably traumatized her several times, you moron," Inuyasha grumbled.
Choosing to ignore the hanyou, the man stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he looked at her. "You don't, do you?"
Kagome swallowed, slightly uncomfortable under his stare. "You're voice sounds familiar," she admitted.
He smirked all of a sudden. "Maybe this will help your memory?" Reaching into his shirt, the man pulled out a golden chain similar to Inuyasha's and unhooked the clasp. The transformation took a moment, but the small smile could not be hidden from his face as his true form was exposed to the girl.
"Sesshoumaru," Kagome breathed, taking a step back.
Sesshoumaru shook his head and smirked. His amber eyes showed suppressed humor. "Calm down, girl. You don't need to be afraid of me."
"I don't?" Kagome said, feeling brave all of a sudden and angrily stepping forward. She pushed a finger into his chest. "Do you remember how many times you tried to kill me?"
Inuyasha sighed and stepped between Kagome and his brother. "Sesshoumaru and I and worked out our past and differences, Kagome," he eased. "Took a while, but he's actually kind of fun to have around now." He glanced lightheartedly at his brother. "But this was not one of those times."
The older demon laughed and stepped back, his long, silver hair flowing with the movement. "Kirara said I could come right on in. You two are arguing again, aren't you?"
The hanyou growled and flexed his claws. "She's dead."
Kagome grabbed his arm before be could move out the door. "Leave her alone. You're just letting her win."
Sesshoumaru smirked and shook his head again. "Actually, I'm not just here for a visit this time."
Inuyasha motioned for him to sit and then sat back down on the bed. Kagome joined him. "What are you here for then?"
"First, work's been cancelled today," he said, running a hand tiredly through his bangs.
"Work?" Kagome turned to Inuyasha.
Inuyasha nodded. "I work for the company he owns."
"Oh." Kagome thought for a moment before turning her attention back to the two brothers.
"What else, Sesshoumaru?"
The grave look in his amber eyes did not bode well as his glance slid to Kagome for a moment. "The second reason concerns the Jewel…and Kikyo."
Kagome's heart stopped. "Kikyo?" She turned questioningly to Inuyasha.
He simply stared at his brother, his lips pressed in a grim line.
A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger. Trying to get as much done as I can. Hope you all enjoyed, and please review! God Bless! ~Of Memories Past