Another's Name, But My Heart
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

General Reminder: All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kagome or the real Kikyo's POV.

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Chapter Six

That Kind of Girl

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Kagome sighed as she paced in "her" room. It had been almost an hour since Inuyasha had stalked out and she had yet to hear from him. While one half of her was relieved to postpone what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, another part just wanted to get it over and done with. Every stride across the room made the knot in the pit of her stomach tighten. Every passing moment made her hands clench into tighter fists.

She knew that there was only one way to bring the situation to a head but still maintain a modicum of control. She would simply confront him before he could confront her. That way the meeting would happen when and where she chose, giving her a small advantage.

She could only hope that that small advantage would be enough. Even as she stuck firm to her decision, an image of the fuming expression Inuyasha had been wearing upon his departure materialized in her mind. She swallowed.

Never having been one to back down once she had made up her mind, Kagome went into action. Rooting through the multitude of clothing that the room contained, she selected the simplest dress she could find. It was a delicate shade of green, with white lace lining the square neckline and falling from the full cuffs. A braided belt in a subdued tone of gold was twined about her waist, matching the gold stitching that edged the hem.

Removing the wedding veil had mussed her hairstyle beyond repair, so she hurried to correct that as well. Brushing her dark locks until they shone, she hesitated before leaving them to hang down her back. She would have preferred to tie the mass back with a ribbon, but since one wasn't readily available, she settled for the simpler style.

Kagome stopped to take a deep, bracing breath before almost charging from the room. She wanted to accomplish her goal before she managed to talk herself out of it. It took a moment for her to remember the way to the hall, but luckily, no one was around to see her slip. Moments later, she was crossing the hall.

So wrapped in thoughts of what she was going to do, Kagome was paying little attention to where she was going. It caught her completely off guard when she rounded a corner and slammed bodily into someone else. A startled gasp was torn from her throat as she started to tumble backwards.

Just before she would have hit the floor, two strong hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her back into an upright position. The sudden change of angle threw her off balance, causing her to overcompensate. She landed with her cheek pressed against a hard chest, breathing in the scent of sweat and something else, something . . .darker.

"Are you okay?"

The deep voice that rumbled the chest beneath her cheek caused Kagome to look up quickly. She gasped when she realized that it was Inuyasha who had broken her fall, Inuyasha who now held her against him. Her hands rose quickly to press against his chest in an effort to put some space between them.

Inuyasha was having none of that. His arms tightened around her like bands of steel, keeping her from moving. He repeated his earlier question.

"Are you okay?"

"Um, yes. Thank you for catching me," she managed. Although she had hoped answering him would bring about her release, he didn't seem ready to let go. He just stood there, eyes locked on her face.

Kagome pushed against his chest again with the hands that still rested there, and frowned when she felt something slick beneath her left palm. Her curiosity at the out of place sensation allowed her to tear her gaze from his as she lifted her hand into the light. Her entire body stiffened as she saw the layer of blood that coated her fingers.

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Inuyasha looked at his wife's face, watching as she paled. His golden eyes flickered to the cause of her distress, then dismissed it. The small amount was nothing to get worked up over, a mere scratch to be ignored.

Apparently Kikyo disagreed. This time when she shoved away from him, he let her go. His head tilted slightly to the side as he waited curiously for her reaction.

"You're hurt!" There was a note in her voice that he hadn't expected. It was concern, and it was apparently for him. That thought was confirmed when she grasped his arms and pulled them away from his injured side. Tugging at the red fabric that was heavy from the blood it had absorbed, she quickly bared the wound to the hallway's minimal light.

His sensitive ears caught the sound of her gasp as she saw the long, thin gash. Gentle fingertips brushed the edges, a gesture that surprised him enough to draw in a quick breath.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you." She didn't look up as she spoke, merely continued studying his injury. Inuyasha simply watched her, unmoving, as he waited to see what she would do next.

Grasping his hand in her own, Kikyo began pulling him back the way she had come. Following docilely, he soon found himself seated on the edge of the bed as his new wife darted about the room, gathering random items while muttering under her breath. Just when he was about to rise, she returned to his side. Dropping her supplies onto the bed bedside him, she quickly sorted it out.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered, casting him a quick look from over her shoulder as she stood at the washbasin, carefully wringing excess water from the rag in her hands. More bemused than anything else, Inuyasha obeyed. The woman in front of him seemed different from the one he had left in the very same bedroom just awhile before. Gone was the frightened look, the uncertain eyes. In their place came a quiet kind of confidence that spoke of knowledge and a willingness to help.

So what had changed? Was a small cut really enough to make her face the person she apparently feared? Why did she even care?

Kikyo knelt at his side and carefully dabbed at the wound with her cloth. Although he could have told her it was no big deal, Inuyasha held his tongue. Whether they liked it or not, they were married. If it took an injury to keep her from shrinking away from him, he wasn't foolish enough not to take advantage of his newfound knowledge.

He continued eyeing her intently as she carried out her self-appointed task. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and the tip of her tongue peeped out of the corner of her mouth. Whenever she reached a spot on his side that required firm pressure she would wince, almost as though she felt sorry for doing something she assumed would cause him pain.

In truth, the slight throbbing was far from his mind. The small gash would be healed by morning thanks to his demon blood, and it would take more than that to make him uncomfortable.

What was on his mind was the girl kneeling by his side. Every move she made sent a wave of some flowery scent toward him, probably from something she had put in her bath. Normally the scents worn by human women bothered his sensitive nose, but this fragrance was so light that he found himself leaning forward to catch another trace of it. It seemed a perfect match for Kikyo; delicate and subtle, but able to catch his attention with a small amount of effort.

He was examining the highlights that the sun was casting on her inky hair when she looked up. His thoughts stuttered to a stop as brown eyes locked onto his face. It took a moment for him to become conscious of the questioning air that had settled over her. He guessed that she must have said or asked something that he had missed.

The mild embarrassment that he felt when he realized he had been caught staring instead of paying attention caused his voice to be rougher than he had intended when he spoke. "What?"

He half expected her to back away or cringe as her earlier fear returned, but she didn't. Her eyes flashed and then narrowed. She straightened her shoulders as she repeated her request. "Raise your arms."

Inuyasha obeyed, curious about her change in attitude. He wondered where the defiance she was showing now had been that morning. Where was the pale, trembling girl from the church, or the frightened, outraged one from just a few hours before? How many sides were there to his new bride?

As soon as his arms were out of the way, Kikyo began winding a long strip of cloth around his waist. It was all he could do to keep from jumping when her hands brushed his bare skin as she settled the bandage into place.

"There," she muttered, leaning back to eye her work. Apparently satisfied, she rose to her feet and began collecting her materials. As she put them all away, Inuyasha shrugged back into his shirt. He found himself feeling almost . . .nervous, which was ludicrous, of course. He was a half demon, and the new lord of this entire area. She was a human girl with no more power than he chose to give her. If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be her.

Almost as though she had read his thoughts and agreed, Kikyo took up a position by the window, which happened to be as far from him as was possible in the room. She twisted her hands in front of her and though he couldn't see it, his keen ears picked up the sound of a slipped kicking at the floor. Every few moments she would throw a quick look at him, then immediately switch her gaze to another part of the bedchamber.

Inuyasha figured that she was waiting for him to leave and had taken his first steps toward the door to do just that when she finally spoke.

"I think that . . .that we should talk." Kikyo's voice trembled a bit at first, but came out strong when she continued. "We need to talk."

Wondering what she was getting at, Inuyasha leaned one shoulder casually against the wall, then cocked an eyebrow at her. "So talk."

She huffed a little, but stopped wringing her hands as her annoyance with him overtook her nervousness. He made a mental note of that, then fixed his eyes on her face.

"I know that we're . . .married and everything, but this was all very sudden for me. I mean, it's a situation that's going to take time to get used to. I really think it would be a mistake to rush into . . .things before we even know each other. This morning . . .that ki-. . ." She paused to take a deep breath as crimson tinted her cheeks. "What happened this morning shouldn't happen again. Not yet, I mean. In time, when we know each other better, or at all, really, then I'm sure it would be natural but . . ."

Annoyed with the almost pleading tone her voice had taken, Inuyasha interrupted. "So what exactly are you trying to say?"

"No more kissing!" she snapped, then slapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in horror.

Feeling almost insulted, Inuyasha allowed his instinct to take over. Years of listening to Sesshomaru had taught him to hide his emotions instantly. Letting a smirk cross his face, he pushed away from the wall.

"That's all you have to say?" She nodded. Striding to the door, he tossed his final comment over his shoulder. "You don't have to worry. It's not like I actually enjoyed kissing you, anyway. Believe me, I'm in no hurry to kiss stupid human girls."