Chapter Four: I can't stop thinking about you

Inuyasha looked up at the clear blue sky with his dark human eyes. The former demon sighed. Everything was so screwed up now… first Kagome runs off to her own time, then Miroku seals Inuyasha's demon powers, Hojo forced Inuyasha to cut his hair, and now he was waiting outside of Kagome's school for it to end.

A cool breeze started to blow through Inuyasha's shoulder length black hair and he closed his eyes, taking in the rays of the afternoon sun. Behind him the school bell rang, signaling dismissal. Inuyasha turned around and saw Kagome along with three of her friends walking out of the school building while many other students did the same and proceeded to different afternoon clubs like kyudo or kendo.

"You should go out with Hojo sometime, Kagome. He's really sweet but you just keep blowing him off." A girl with a yellow headband told Kagome.

"Eri, I just don't think Hojo is really my type. Plus I kind of like someone else." Kagome admitted sheepishly.

"SPILL IT ALREADY!" Her three friends ordered in unison. "Who is this guy you keep talking about so much?!"

"Well uh…" Kagome trailed off, embarrassed.

"Hey Kagome!" Hojo called and ran to catch up with her. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"We'll just leave you alone." The girl with short hair waved and whispered one last thing to Kagome before she left, "If he asks you out you have to say yes."

Kagome stared after her friend with an annoyed look on her face, but turned her attention back to Hojo. "What did you want to ask?"

"Would you like to go out with me this Sunday?" Hojo scratched the back of his head.

"I guess…" Kagome sighed.

"Great! Call it a date! I'll pick you up at your place around six." Hojo smiled.

"Sure thing." Kagome nodded and began walking towards her shrine again. Inuyasha watched after her with sad and longing eyes. On her way past Inuyasha she met his gaze and winced at the sorrow she saw in his eyes.

"Hey Inu!" Hojo smacked Inuyasha in the back like they were best friends or something, snapping Inuyasha out of his angst moment.

"What the hell do you want?!" Inuyasha barked at Hojo.

"Hey where do you live?" Hojo asked, well naturedly.

"Uh… I don't know." Replied the former half-demon lamely.

"Then you can stay at my place!" Hojo patted Inuyasha on the shoulder and started leading him to his house. "We can stay up late, swapping manly stories and in the morning… I'm making ramen! I can even share my clothes with you! This will be so much fun!" Hojo went on and on and on in a chummy manner.

The thought of having some instant ramen made Inuyasha feel a little better but he really wished he could stop thinking about Kagome. The look he had given her seemed to pain her but other than that she looked like she was happy back in her own time without him. Inuyasha stared at the ground hopelessly.

I should give up… Kagome doesn't like me. She just thinks I'm a jerk who gets insanely jealous of her.

Sighing, Inuyasha just followed Hojo, not really caring what would happen to him next.

"Hey Inu, you look pretty down. Something wrong?" Hojo asked, concern evident in his tone.

"No…" Inuyasha lied, but even Hojo wasn't so dense that he couldn't tell Inuyasha wasn't telling the truth.

"I'm here for you, pal. If it hurts too much you can cry on my shoulder!" Hojo nodded, dead serious.

Taking a hit to the ego, Inuyasha brought his fist down on Hojo's skull, causing a lump to appear on his head. "I don't need you!"

"Well here we are!" Hojo laughed cheerfully and led the way inside, ignoring the smarting pain in his head.

Back in the Feudal Era…

"I wonder if Inuyasha is having any luck with Lady Kagome?" Miroku pondered this for a minute then sighed in exasperation. "Trusting Inuyasha to make amends was the worst mistake of my life! But none of us can travel to Lady Kagome's time except for him."

"We're stuck between a rock and a hard place, huh?" Shippo nibbled on a snack.

"We should just give them more time." Sango stroked Kirara's fur.

The bushes near them rustled and a rowdy, possessive wolf demon leaped out sniffing around on the damp soil.

"Koga? What are you doing here?" Miroku perked an eyebrow at the proud tribe leader of the wolf demon pack.

"Where's Kagome?! I haven't been able to smell her scent for a while now. Something better not have happened to her! I can't pick up the scent of that insolent puppy either but that's probably a good thing." Koga eyed all three of them suspiciously.

"Um… well… she went back to her home through the bone eater's well." Sango pointed to the direction of the haunted well, hesitantly.

"Great! I'll go after her!" With that, Koga raced off to the well.

"Wait Koga! It's not going to work for you!" Miroku attempted to stop him but alas it was in vain.

"I'll go after him." Shippo volunteered happily and skipped off to the bone eater's well. Climbing over the edge and peering inside the only thing he could see at the bottom of the well was scattered demon bones. "Huh? I thought only Inuyasha and Kagome could go through the well. What's going on here?"

TO BE CONTINUED

Well, I finally updated!!! And I thought it would add an interesting twist if Koga got into the picture here even if it could never happen in the actual story. But speaking of Koga, will he finally kill Inuyasha now that he is a weak mortal? Or will Kagome beat him to it if she discovers Inu's true identity if she even finds out?