DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.
You're not Alone
By: Of Memories Past
Part XII
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"Well, hello there, Sexy."
Kouga spun around and grinned at his old comrade before pulling her into a friendly embrace. "Changing our form again, are we Kirara?" His blue eyes sparkled as he noted on the form he had not before seen. "You look great."
Kirara grinned and pulled on the long, black hair that hung loose from its usual ponytail. "Yeah, I do. How are Ayame and the pups?"
"Good, they're all good," Kouga answered, looking around the apartment. "The pups have recently discovered matches, so Ayame is constantly on the lookout during the day."
Kirara pretended to shudder. "God forbid they find out about fire."
"Coming from a fire-cat," Kouga smirked.
"Well, ya know…"
Laughing, Kouga dropped his briefcase on the ground of his friend's apartment and stretched. "Where's Yashy?" The smirk couldn't be held back when Kirara rolled her eyes at him.
"He's going to kill you if you keep calling him that."
"Yeah," Kouga admitted, "but it's almost worth it. Where's the runt?"
The sound of grumbling entered the room as Shippou sullenly marched in. His eyes met Kouga's, and he nodded to the older demon. "Kouga."
The wolf demon's laughter filled the apartment once more. The kit stood all hunched over as he drug his feet and made his way into the living room. His normally vibrant, green eyes looked clouded over with irritation and frustration. As a matter of fact, his entire demeanor shouted out how he felt. "Having a bad day, Shippou?"
"It's sucked," Shippou answered, sulking on the couch. He absently began flicking stations on the television, blowing his bangs out of his eyes when they fell in his face. "Know anything about sex, Kouga?"
To say that Kouga's eyes went wide would be an understatement. He didn't know if he should take that last comment as an insult or as just some of Shippou's moody rambling. He opted for the latter. "What does that have to do with anything?" the wolf asked, moving to sit beside the kit.
"Everything," Shippou mumbled. "If I see people kiss or touch each other one more time, I'm going to vomit."
"Kouga!"
"Wench…"
Shippou cringed at the sound of Inuyasha and Kagome's voices. "Especially those two."
"Oh, you'll live," Kirara scolded lightly, joining him on the couch to watch the reunion. She was secretly laughing on the inside at the annoyed look she knew would be on Inuyasha's face when he saw the other demon.
But Kagome was going to beat him to the door.
Kouga froze when he saw Kagome. She was just as he had remembered her, and he smiled gently as he opened his arms to the girl he had once made unabashed declarations of love to.
"Kouga!" she exclaimed again, rushing forward and jumping into her old friend's embrace. Kagome laughed happily along with Kouga as he spun her around before setting her back on the ground. Kirara was right. Kouga had grown to be quite handsome. His long, black hair hung freely, showing a striking contrast between it and his clear, blue eyes. He wore the same charming smile that he always had
"Damn wolf."
Kirara elbowed Inuyasha in the ribs and smirked when she heard him grunt. "Keep quiet. You know that Kagome has missed him too. Besides, he and Ayame are happily married."
"Keh." Inuyasha scowled at Kagome's smiling face before turning his face away. Unfortunately, his eyes found a sulking Shippou, out glaring at the world once again. Empathizing at the moment, Inuyasha decided to join the kit in being morose. He wandered over to the couch and dropped down next to the kitsune.
Shippou glared Inuyasha, giving him a look that clearly said 'how dare you come into my personal space' and edged as far away as possible.
"How was school?" Inuyasha asked, knowing the type of response that the question would evoke. He tried not to smirk when Shippou when for his throat.
"It's all your fault!" Shippou gripped his throat tightly as Inuyasha stifled laughter. His green eyes gleamed dangerously. "I wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for you and your damn hormones!" Rage the only thing on his mind, Shippou resorted to cheap tactics and pulled harshly on one of Inuyasha's ears.
"OW!" Inuyasha shouted, reaching around for the kit's tail.
"Stop it!" Kirara wasted no more time jumping into the middle of the fray, and in record time she had Shippou subdued with his neck pinned between her calves and Inuyasha in a headlock. "Alright, children…"
"What's up, muttface?"
The last being Inuyasha wanted to see was Kouga, so of course it would be his face leaning over his that was right in his direct line of vision. He scowled. "Not much, fleabag." Inuyasha struggled a bit until Kirara let him go. The fire-cat had more than a good grip. He rolled his neck a couple of times to work out the kinks that Kirara had graciously given him before facing the wolf. A lethal glint leaped into his eyes when he saw Kouga's arm draped loosely over Kagome's shoulders. "Let her go."
Kouga frowned at Inuyasha's growl and clenched teeth, seeing once more the more violent (although suppressed) side of the hanyou. He turned to face Kagome with a serious look in his eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down so that he was eye level with her.
"Is he treating you right?" he asked, concern etched in his voice.
Kagome smiled and nodded. "He is."
The wolf took one more look at Inuyasha and sighed before pulling Kagome into his arms. "Alright, I'll believe you. But if things start to get out of hand, Ayame and I have a spare bedroom, and you are more than welcome to it."
"She isn't going to need it, you mangy wolf," Inuyasha growled. He didn't like the look on Kagome's face at the Kouga's offer.
Kagome was smiling. Kouga hadn't changed one bit. He still was protective of her, even if she was not his own. "I won't need it, Kouga, but thanks for caring." She paused to smile at Inuyasha. "I'm happy here, even with him and his mood swings."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, an angry scowl on his face until he caught the wink she threw his way. He settled for grumbling under his breath, but it was difficult for him not to grin at the way she openly flirted with him—right in front of the mangy wolf. A grin did come to his lips at that thought.
"Oh, I'm going to go and vomit now," Shippou announced, standing up and leaving to do just that. "Come on Kirara, you can hold my hair back."
"Yes, your Highness," Kirara muttered, giving his tail a good yank as she got up to follow him out of the room. She turned and grinned at Inuyasha. "Don't worry. I'll have him shaped up by the time we get back."
The hanyou snorted. "Good, he still seems to be a bit ignorant of some things."
"I'll take care of that." With a sly grin, Kirara left and followed the revolted kit to the bathroom.
Inuyasha watched her saunter after the kit before turning his attention once more to his future mate and old rival. "What information do you have for us?"
Kouga sighed, turning his attention from Kagome for a moment to face Yashy, as he so fondly called the dog-demon. "I was asked not to relay any information until all were present," he rattled carelessly. But past experience let him know too well…
"What?!"
…that Inuyasha was not going to be too thrilled with that answer. The silver-haired hanyou never had much patience. As a matter of fact, sometimes Kouga wondered how he had been able to wait for Kagome all those years. The wolf decided to ignore the currently red-faced Inuyasha and turned back to Kagome.
"Want to see my kids?" he grinned.
Kagome squealed happily when Kouga brought out the family photos from his wallet, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, tempted to go join Shippou with throwing up in the bathroom.
Kagome, on the other hand, loved seeing the pictures of his family. She laughed at the pictures of Kouga toppled by a squirming bunch of rambunctious pups and cooed over the ones of the newest member of the family that had arrived only a month beforehand. It made her happy to know that he had found a life to settle down in and love.
A picture of Kouga and Ayame together without the concealing chains surrounded by four pups—one seeming to be in his teen years—with black and red streaked hair brought a wide smile to her face. Their blue-green eyes shone brightly. "They're adorable."
"Until they're in trouble," Kouga smirked wryly. "Wolf demon pups aren't too cute covered in kerosene while one of them is reaching for matches." He laughed at the horrified look on her face. "Don't worry. They got punished."
"Who got punished?" Kirara slunk back into the living room and dropped down onto the couch, crossing her long legs as she tried to peer over Kouga and Kagome's shoulders to see what they were looking at.
"His pups," Kagome said, still a bit dazed. "Matches."
Kirara smirked and snapped her fingers together, creating a small amber flame. "Who needs matches?"
"Oh, please do not show them that you can do that," Kouga groaned. He could just picture his pups swooning over the deadly fire-cat and her control over fire—especially his oldest, who found girls to be just the most interesting creatures.
"Where's Shippou?" Kagome asked. She swept her hair back off her neck and tied into a ponytail to keep the dark strands from falling into her face. "He isn't really sick is he?"
Inuyasha's chuckle brought looks of confusion to everyone's faces as they glanced up at him.
"He's not sick," Inuyasha said, pointing toward the kitchen. "Just a bit dazed."
Dazed did not even begin to describe the astonished look on the kit's face as he stumbled into the living room. He did not seem to notice as he banged sharply into the corner of the coffee table and stepped on the television remote. The cracked remote remained completely ignored as he dropped onto the couch, though he tried to stay as far away from Kirara as he could.
"What the hell happened to you?" Inuyasha moved in front of Shippou and waved his hand in front of the kitsune's face. But Shippou stared blankly. "What did you do to him, Kirara?"
Kirara shrugged and smiled slyly.
With that type of look, she could have done anything, and Inuyasha suddenly did not want to hear it from the culprit. He looked at Kouga, and the wolf tapped his nose lightly in response. Inuyasha was confused until he took in Shippou's entire scent. He reeked of Kirara.
"What did you do?" Inuyasha hissed at the cat.
Kirara winked at Kagome, who was trying to hide her grin at Shippou's stupor, and then smiled seductively at Inuyasha.
"Do you want me to show you?"
"Wench."
Kagome laughed. "That's a no." She patted Shippou's knee gently after seeing that he wasn't going to be focused anytime soon and stretched her limbs. "I wish that Sesshoumaru would hurry up so we could find out what's going on."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
And like they wanted, Sesshoumaru would arrive quickly, but it wasn't to be the normal controlled and graceful entrance that they were used to. Oh no, it definitely was not…
A/N: Well, there's another chapter. Sorry it's been so long. Life is more than heck right now. I want to curl up and sleep but as my friend Sammy tells me all the time, I have the worst sleeping habits that there are. *Sighs* Sammy, you are soooo right. But none of my hallmates heard me admit that ;). Hope that you all enjoyed. Updates will come as they come unfortunately. School is loading on work. But I appreciate your support. Every one of you! God Bless! ~Of Memories Past