Gha! My e-mail server has been "in maintenance" for the last three days or so, and the estimate has changed to waiting another day or two.~_~;;;;
Wow! I hadn't even realized that I'd broken one hundred comments last chapter! *does a little dance* Woohoo! And number one hundred was *checks* it looks like... it looks like...Vampire-Elf! *poppers go off, streamers fly about, the 'tink'ing of apple juice glasses can be heard throughout the air, etc.* Congratulations! Hmmm... but what could I do to celebrate? I know! How about anyone can give me suggestions of future stuff they'd like to see and I'll see what I can do?^_^ I know, I know, lame prize, but I couldn't think of anything else. I don't usually give out prizes.~_~;;; So, if anyone wants to see something, feel free and ask. Who knows, I could put it in the story.^_^ TalonKarrde suggested something in a comment during my last story that I have planned for the more romantic part of this, so maybe something you guys want could happen too.^-^
Oh, and as a reminder: IF YOU WANT E-MAIL NOTICES FROM ME OR HAVE THEM AND WANT TO KEEP THEM, E-MAIL ME OR LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING ME SO; you know, just in case people missed it the first time.^_^
Goku's Daughter- No worries, you're staying on the list.^_~ I wonder how many people actually read that. I think I'll put a reminder at the beginning of this one as well. *adds it* Yeah, I like the simple ones too; they have the most chance for fluff the way I see it. There should be another one or two home ones in about 2-3 chapters or so, maybe even 4, but it shouldn't be very long. New monitor? Spiffy! Aww, well, I hope your head feels better.^_^ We have people over so I have to run, but I'll talk to you soon okay? Have a good night and bye for now!^-^
Vampire-Elf- Hehe yeah, I noticed the Miroku thing too.^_^; That is so like him. Personally, I like Shippou's throw; the whole turning into the giant pink blob thing amuses me.^-^ *giggles* I forget what demon Inu Yasha's throw was... if he has one. I should go look when I get home. Hmm... Doesn't it suck that you can't play demon Inu Yasha in the main game, and that you can only fight against him? I was so looking forward to playing as him there.~_~;;; Heh, yeah, Miroku's funny, but you have to admit, he does have privileges that no one else is entitled to... well, for now. I'm sure Kagome will have them as well, if desired, but that might take a bit more time in doing, ne?^_~ I'm glad you don't think that there's too much angst. I don't really think so either, but the opinion of my readers is as important as mine right? And as always, thanks so much for the kind review.^_^ You know I love it!^_^ *hugs*
lunemangelus- Well, the thing is, we don't even know if he actually has a tail or not. It's just a subconscious movement while dreaming sort of thing, but makes for an absolutely adorable picture when it comes to Kagome's sight.^-^ Besides, Rin calls Sesshoumaru Fluffy, does she not?^_~* I would imagine that when they all woke up, Miroku would get hit for perversion, Kagome and Souta would go home... you know, I might as well start off this chapter with that, more chance for fluff and all.^-^ *giggles* Thanks!
Reina1- Lol duh Cheryl^_^; *hits self lightly on head* Yeah, my bf used to be in xc so I can't understand why I would've forgotten that.^_^; lol Hehe I'd love for Inu Yasha to tutor me except for one thing; we don't know if we could get him to open up as Kagome always seems to be able to.^_~
Pruningshears- *giggles* wouldn't we all like to see the battle, but alas, tis not an important event in the story. Actually, that chapter wasn't incredibly important either, but it *was* needed, and cute.^-^ Hehe Inu as a god. Ahh what chaos that could've brought. And I know, you think it's a boa right? Well, I thought that way for a long time, but the idea of Sesshoumaru having a giant fluffy tail wrapped around his arm was just way too cute for me to pass up.^-^ Sure, it could be a family heirloom or whatnot, but I've long enjoyed the tail scenario so, as I had warned in a previous chapter, Kagome "sees" Sesshoumaru with a tail here.^_^ It's kind of like how I go with the anime brown eyes more so than the manga blue because I like the brown eyes better; it's just a matter of preference. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. Oh, and the dark look? Well, that was what was important in that chapter, but it's mostly foreshadowing. I should just let you wait until later to find out what kind, but if you really want to know, it's just showing him becoming a bit suspicious of Kagome and sensing that something's wrong. He has his suspicions, though I haven't shown much of that yet, only subtle things to show it, but what his suspicions are, I'm not going to tell.^-^
S@n-ch@n- Yes, sleepovers do rule, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to write about this one. However, in a few chapters... *clears throat* Yeah, anyway, I was thinking that if people thought this was too angsty they'd die when the actual angst came about.^_^;;; I mean, sure, it was harsh there for a little while, but that was only Kagome angst. What are people going to do when it's at least two of them?
Random (aka Heirofarwen)- Lol sometimes those are the best hours to be awake, but not during school time. I mean, man that'd be bad for school.^_^; lol Yeah, I chose the tiger too. My bf chose it as well, but he liked to send it mixed signals, you know, "Good tiger, eat the people. Okay, I'm just going to slap you around for the hell of it until I almost kill you. Okay, now eat the people. Good boy." That sort of thing.~_~; I felt so bad for that poor tiger. Anyway! *giggles* Yeah, I'm a smiley addict, but they suit me so it's all good. Awww, well, I'm definitely glad that you liked the chapter.^_^ Heh, I hoped the others liked it as much as you did; you guys are going to need every bit of humor because it'll be quite a few chapters until fluff. There should be a bit in about 4-5 chapters from now, but until then it'll be preeety bad.^_^;;; Or at least I think it will... *giggles* Me thinks that I need to check my notes again.^_^;;; lol
ladykaa28- Funny you should mention that because in about 3-4 chapters they'll be switching from semi-enemies to semi-friends, and no, it's not the same thing.^_^; The thing is, they're not fighting like they were in the beginning; right now the "sit" was just the usual, casual "sit" that she always gives him from time to time. It's the same in the series; it's just something they do.
Blade Griffin- Well, something like that; what can I say besides that her mom is the best?^_^; *giggles* And besides, Mrs. Higurashi wants them to regain something that only time together can achieve. Right now they're closer than they have been for a long while, and they have been neighbors forever, so what would be the harm of letting Kagome stay? Kag's never really lied to her and she has people there to watch her, so why should her mother not believe that she's there to study? If she wanted to do something else, she could've easily given a different excuse and saved herself the trouble of lying.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol
Oh, and as always,
_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Recap:
"Fluffy... pillow..." Kagome's eyes widened and filled, just barely, with tears.
CUUUTTTEEE!!!!
...
In the shadows of the hallway, a pair of amber eyes watched her intently, a curious, yet strangely grim look surfacing from deep within the pools to coat the surface, before returning to whence it came.
...
Still, she guessed that it just went to show that one couldn't judge a book by it's cover, or should she have thought, that people weren't always black and white, but one of many shades of grey in between. (*author ducks flying vegetables*)
...
"I'm going to call Momma for a minute to check in." And thus, the battle ensued.
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Do the Math
Chapter 21: Winter's Wonderland
The night had come and gone, and seemingly, so had everyone else. Raising his head, Miroku allowed his violet eyes to wander the room he then inhabited, using the occasional rare beam of light that managed to seep around his form from the computer screen in front of him to search for even one living soul in the blue-tinted atmosphere. When had he fallen asleep? How long had he slept? Had it ruined his game? Surely Inu Yasha had come back to his room at some point during the night, but then why hadn't he been woken? Why hadn't the game been turned off? Scouring the other side of the room, Miroku spotted Mr. Khioto, still sleeping against the side of the bed, and sighed gently to himself. Well, at least he hadn't been the last to wake. Tip-toeing carefully across the room, as not to wake Inutaisho, Miroku made his way out the door and down the hall, careful with each step, each breath, each noise he made. After checking the rest of the rooms on the top floor and finding only Mrs. Khioto fast asleep in bed, Miroku, having a rule against friends' mothers, proceeded to head downstairs, certain that there had to be at least one person left alive down there, and absolutely determined to find some answers to the questions that kept rising in his mind. Let's just say that what he found was not quite what he had been expecting.
Sure, he had wondered briefly about where Inu Yasha had been; he had been looking for him when he had originally come, after all, and sure, he had had perverted thoughts about Inu Yasha disappearing while Kagome was supposed to be in the house, but he had considered those just his usual perversion, nothing new. Of course, neither of them would ever do anything of the sort; they were too shy and *way* too stubborn. Of course they were probably still studying somewhere and he had just missed seeing them by fluke; Kagome was too pure to be taken in so easily. Of course the one time he thought his perverted thoughts were just that, his thoughts, he had to be proven wrong... sort of. Peering over Souta's head, Miroku's face first mirrored the younger's amazement and curiosity, and then shifted, forming not only his patented perverted smirk, but a smug grin as well. It wouldn't be too long now, would it?
Kagome was sitting next to Inu Yasha in the living room, books open on the table in front of them both, and yet no pencils in hand. It seemed that the two had fallen asleep in that position, leading him to believe that they either had no idea what was going on, besides the fact that they were sleeping of course, or that they knew exactly what they were doing and Miroku's mind had actually come up with a plausible solution for once. Nah, it had to be the first. Perhaps Kagome had been in search of a pillow in her sleep, or a blanket, and perhaps Inu Yasha had done the same, but no matter the cause, the fact of the matter was that Kagome had her head resting on Inu's shoulder and his on her head. The contrast between the intertwined black and white hair amused Miroku greatly, simply because it reminded him of the game he had previously been playing, where he had flung people to their deaths with the click of a mouse button. That fact aside, the sight was truly one of beauty, made even better by the fact that Inu had his arm draped lazily over her, and tightened it even more so if anyone came near, almost... possessively. No, it wouldn't be long now.
All too soon his fun was cut short, however, as Mr. Khioto entered. Seeing the two asleep as such, he could only smile lovingly and usher the two oglers from the room, and, more importantly, out of gawking range, allowing Inu Yasha and Kagome their privacy. Unfortunately, his good will was interrupted by one young girl who had somehow slipped past them.
"Oh, what's everyone looking a..." Clamping her mouth shut, Rin took a step back, praying that she hadn't disturbed them, but it was too late. Opening a sleepy eye, Inu Yasha stretched, yawning as would a puppy and raising his arm up. It seemed that he had yet to notice the others in the room, or they would've surely been running for their lives right about then. Actually, he looked pretty damned rested; maybe he would be in a good enough mood that he wouldn't slaughter them... or at least so much so that he would do it quickly. Ahh, one could only hope. He had, however, seemed to notice a slight problem with his morning stretching ritual. The problem? The arm he decided to raise was the one he had around Kagome, stopping him in his tracks as the girl in question began to stir as well. Chocolate orbs manifested themselves, making out their surroundings and realizing, first, where there were, then what Kagome had been doing before she fell asleep, and once she got to the realization that she had slept next to Inu Yasha all night, she became all too aware of the arm wrapped around her midsection. He hadn't really been... had he? Both teens turned their heads, first to the "offending" arm, and then towards each other, but before either could move or say a word, another sound broke through the tension for them, forcing all in the vicinity to notice.
"So, who's got the sausage, hmm?" Two seconds later, a book had collided perfectly into the middle of Miroku's forehead. As Mr. Khioto applauded Kagome's aim and Inu Yasha stared, slightly in awe and slightly surprised that Kagome, his K... he meant, Kagome would do that, another walked by and saw the two, still unmoved, for the most part, from their previous position.
"So, Inu Yasha, this is what you call studying?" As Sesshoumaru raised a delicate eyebrow towards them, both teens, finally realizing their proximity to one another, shot apart as would magnets of the same charge, and would have been caught in a glaring match had Inu Yasha not set one up with Sesshoumaru at that instant instead. Feeling himself above that, and still berating himself for wasting the day yesterday, Sesshoumaru simply nodded to his father and left Kagome's line of sight, heading down the hall towards the front door. "Rin." Within two shakes of a lambs tail, Rin was up and by her "lord's" side, ready and willing to do as he asked. She loved her Sesshoumaru-sama.
Seeing her opportunity to escape, Kagome wasted no time and stood, practically running over to Souta, and took him by the shoulders. Ushering him out of the house, she bid a quick farewell and thank you to Inutaisho for his hospitality, and simply blushed as she looked at Inu Yasha, who was still fuming in the living room. Kagome's retreat completed, Inu Yasha stood and, walking past Miroku, decided to wipe that stupid grin off of his face with a good, sound whack on the head. With that done and Miroku, preferably, unconscious, Inu ascended the stairs, calling with an unusually gruff tone that he was going to go to sleep for a few hours, clearly emphasizing the "in my bed" part of it. And finally, with everyone now gone, Mr. Khioto blinked, wondering vaguely how everyone managed to disappear so quickly, before placing Miroku on the couch and going about his daily morning routine. Yep, never a dull moment with those two.
The next week was taken up completely with preparations for both the winter formal and the upcoming test. Thankfully, due to that study session, late as it had been, Kagome had managed to get through the impossible test with a B+. It was the highest grade she had ever received, and considering that it was on one of the hardest tests she had ever taken, she was dually thrilled, and completely positive that the dance the next day would be the best ever. With such a good mood, she also began thinking about how she got there. If it weren't for Inu Yasha or their study sessions, she wouldn't have even gotten a D, much less passed the test. She was really lucky to have someone so close to study with. And really, despite what she first thought of him, Inu Yasha wasn't really all that bad. Sure, he could be loud, arrogant, crude, stubborn... where was she? Oh right, but he was cute doing it, and besides, he tended to do said things more when he was trying to cover up for something else, which was even more cute in itself. He really wasn't bad at all once you learned to read him... well, not really bad anyway. Of course, all of these thoughts would go out the window as soon as he pissed her off again, but hey, better to have enjoyed the good mood while it lasted right? She just hoped that her good cheer would rub off on him some; he seemed to have been needing it lately.
"Inu Yasha; 99%" Or... maybe not.
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Colors drifted through the air, seemingly swaying with the music playing in the background, as the lights danced about, painting the room, first in a rainbow assortment, and then in the slightly lighter tones of blue and white. Dark shapes moved about, people complimenting each other, talking and laughing about this and that, dancing beneath the simulated stars from the fabric and lights on the ceiling above; all created an atmosphere that seemed surreal. It was like there was something special in the air that night, willing all to have a great time and enjoy themselves, and practically begging for a little mischief. Well, as long as that mischief wasn't pegged on Kagome, she was fine with that. To be honest, she had never been one for dances, and had thought them rather boring the few times she had gone to one, but tonight seemed different, and she was hoping beyond hope that she knew why. The only problem that night had been that there was a lightning storm outside, more proof that winter was soon approaching, but inside it was warm and dry, making everyone that much more glad to be there, though in front of a fire might've been nice as well.
Kagome and Sango were both wearing brand new dresses, a product of their sleep over a few weeks back (ch. 19), and, embarrassingly enough, had both turned a few heads as they first walked through the door. Kagome was wearing a dark, backless, midnight blue gown, shimmering and sparkling as she walked as if a thousand microscopic diamonds had been woven into the fabric. There was a fold tightly placed across the top of her breasts, turning immediately into a form-fitting mid section, and them flowing from her waist in an upside-down funnel shape, ending at the bottom with layers upon layers of billowing folds. The blue sheen of the fabric matched perfectly with the shine of her hair, bringing the silken tresses to stand out even more so. Though usually down, Kagome wore her hair up that night, piled atop her head as if a crown on a princess, yet leaving two locks, one on each side, to fall before her ears and reach down, curling ever so slightly at her breast. Where as many girls there wore mass amounts of makeup, Kagome was satisfied with but a slight bit of light pink lip gloss to accentuate her already rosen lips, causing them to sparkle and shine as only her eyes were thought capable of before.
Sango was in much the state Kagome had been. Her usually high pony tail had been traded for a high bun, clasped together with jewel-studded sticks, and, as Kagome's had, had left one tress of hair to each ear, yet hers reaching only to the slender curve of her jaw. Her dress, unlike Kagome's strapless, had two spaghetti straps on each side, wrapping from the back of the dress to a slightly higher spot above the middle of her chest, where they connected at one single point to hold up the fabric there. A single line was set across her breast, a soft, baby pink to contrast the ruby fabric around it. Though hers didn't bellow forth as Kagome's had, it was still well shaped and form-fitting, dropping from her hips instead of her waist. All in all, both girls were a sight to behold, but what surprised people the most was that they were missing one simple component; they came with each other, meaning that neither had dates. Whereas many a boy was wondering whether they had made a mistake, it was clear to the girls that they were happy as it was. Everyone knew that Kouga had probably asked Kagome, and everyone knew that she had said no. They would've done the same in her position.
Sitting towards the back corner, two guys stood almost lifelessly against the wall. Miroku, upset that every beautiful girl was dancing with another guy, hadn't had enough courage to ask Sango if she had wanted to come, and so he had dragged Inu Yasha into this madness, not wanting to come alone. Inu Yasha, on the other hand, hadn't wanted to come at all. He, like Miroku, had refused to ask Kagome, mainly due to the fact that he thought she'd reject him, though he'd never tell anyone that, and though many asked him, he always declined. He didn't much care for dances; they bored him. The fact of the matter was, both boys, though clad in tuxes, as were most males there, had yet to see their prospective partners, not that Inu would ask Kagome to dance anyway. He decided to let his tux money go to waste and avoid everyone there, minus Miroku who, in his white tux, not only stood out, but was completely unavoidable... as always. Of course, once they noticed a good number of guys gawking at something, some being hit by their dates for it, and some dates just completely oblivious, they had decided, out of boredom mind you, that they might as well find out what was so interesting. Imagine their surprise when Kagome and Sango walked through the doors and down the stairs, looking every bit the alluring goddesses that the boys had envisioned them to be. Now, the girls were there, the guys were awed, and this left only room for one tactic: hide so that they can't find you and you don't embarrass yourself in front of them. And what better place to hide than in the dark corner they had come from?
After a while, Inu Yasha and Miroku began to realize something, something very important; if they weren't dancing with the girls, someone else, undoubtedly, was. This, being a major blow to their egos, came about in the form of over protectiveness, causing Miroku to go look for Sango and play the knight in shining armor role that she probably hadn't needed anyway, leaving Inu Yasha to sit, alone. Great, so he was alone... while Kagome danced with some weirdo... that could try and hurt her... or worse, what if he asked her out?! Oh no, he'd have none of that! Sure, he didn't like her, of course, but he didn't want to see her hurt again; he didn't like seeing girls cry. Besides, Kagome was the only girl that didn't make him want to pull his hair out screaming, minus Sango of course; he didn't really want to see her hurt. That would bring down his mood too, after all. So, mind finally made up, Inu Yasha left, not to look for Kagome mind you, just to wander and see what else he could do... like... run into... Kagome... or hit Miroku for being a pervert. That was always fun...
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Maybe he didn't come... Wandering a bit less than aimlessly about the dance floor, Kagome allowed her shoulders to droop slightly as she sighed. She had hoped that Inu Yasha would be there, though somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that he wasn't the sort. Why did she even come then? She could be home watching TV with Souta instead of in this mob of hormone crazed teenagers, looking for someone that, in all rights, shouldn't even be there. Why was she even looking for him the first place? It's not like he'd dance with her anyway; he hadn't even asked her to come. What made her think he cared? What if he had come, but brought a date? Mood plummeting by the second, Kagome turned, deciding that she'd find Sango and tell her that she was going home. Before she could even walk three steps, however, Kagome, looking at the floor instead of in front of her, bumped right into a warm wall of flesh, deriving a soft "oomph" from the startled girl as she toppled backwards, but for a moment, before said wall caught her. Lifting her to her feet once more, the person braced her until she had her footing back, before releasing her to the crowd at hand.
"S... Sorry, I..."
"Keh, watch where you're going." Alarm bells rang heavily in Kagome's mind. That voice, that attitude, he *had* come! And of course, she had made an ass of herself within the first second. Stupid, stupid Kagome, why couldn't anything go right? Noticing that Kagome's gaze had dropped to the floor, Inu Yasha began to get somewhat nervous. Had he hurt her? Was something wrong? He didn't mean to be mean, it just always came out that way.
Maybe I should go so that I don't bother her anymore...
I'm sorry I'm a klutz sometimes. Please, don't go.
Why does she seem so shaken?
All I want is to be held.
What's wrong?
I wish you could make it better. The two just stood there, eyes downcast, before looking at each other. Caramel and amber collided, sending messages that their mouths could not, and producing a slight reddish tinge on both their cheeks. As chocolate orbs widened, Kagome couldn't help but think that she had been right; there was something different about that night, that place. She could feel it then, looking into his widening eyes, as if magic were in the air. Maybe, just... maybe...
"Kagome!" No, it couldn't be, not now. "Kagome, what the hell are you doing with dog-turd there?" Oh no, why, of all times, all places, all *people*, why did it have to be him?! A rumbling sound, soft at first, but gaining volume as the seconds passed, began to form within Inu Yasha's chest. Pushing Kagome behind him protectively, Inu practically barked at Kouga, telling her how much he really hadn't wanted him there, and that he knew she didn't either. Somehow, she felt better.
"What's it to you?" Amber turning orange, Inu Yasha's eyes began to slit as his rage built within him. How dare he, how dare he show his face, and then of all times! Every fiber of Inu's being trembled, begging, pleading with his mind to allow him to beat the snot out of a certain wimpy wolf before him. Oh, how he'd love to oblige that request, but he feared that if he did so, he might upset Kagome, so instead he simply stood there, glaring, scowling, and practically snarling at being interrupted, all the while praying that he had enough self-control to quell what his body so eagerly wanted. (sounds dirty doesn't it. ^_^;)
"I want to talk to my woman, that's what." Kouga, matching Inu Yasha glare for glare, snarl for snarl, insult for insult, slipped beside him, reaching out in an attempt to grab Kagome. Seeing his plan, Inu Yasha sidestepped, blocking his path, but also unintentionally allowing Kagome a chance for escape, which she used for a better purpose. Stepping around them both, she glared at them, hands on hips and eyes narrowing. The tapping of her foot, more noticeable because of the high heels she wore, broke the boys out of their squabble and, once they got a good look at her, sent them back a few feet. Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to go about things calmly, rationally. Everything would be fine if she kept her cool. Besides, people were starting to stare and she didn't want to be embarrassed further.
"Kouga," He flinched at the lack of a 'kun' at the end of that, " please, just leave. I don't want to talk to you; I don't want to see you. I just want to be here and have a good time. So please..."
"But you never let me explain!"
"Kouga, just please..."
"No!" Storming up to her, Kouga grabbed Kagome by the wrist and yanked her towards himself.
"Let me go!" Holding her tightly so that she couldn't escape, he began trying to explain himself, something that wasn't working due to a. he had just grabbed her against her will, and therefore both pissed her off and scared her slightly, and b. Kagome was seeing things in him that were making her really nervous when close up, such as fangs near her face and claws near her wrist. She knew that he'd never hurt her on purpose, but she couldn't help but be nervous. Inu Yasha on the other hand, outraged at Kouga's actions, had no qualms about telling him so. Stealing Kagome from his grasp, Inu Yasha first delivered a sound punch to his face, and then would've delivered another, and another, and another, had Kagome not stopped him, asking him if they could just go. She didn't want to be around Kouga; it still hurt that he had betrayed her all those weeks ago, and now that the scab had been ripped away, she just wanted to leave and allow another to form, hopefully protecting both her and her aching heart.
As Kagome and Inu Yasha began walking towards the door, the crowd parted for them. One couldn't block out the whispers, the gossip, but fortunately, all of it was on their side, and against Kouga's. Why had he grabbed her like that? He seemed almost desperate. Why couldn't he just let her be? He had always respected her boundaries before. A clap of thunder was heard through the music in the room, drifting from one side to the other, shaking people and leaving them in a fleeting sense of awe as it passed. Another bolt sounded, this time lighting up the already lit room, and causing the DJ to stop playing music, as all were too engulfed in wonder as to the storm outside to do much else. No one had even noticed Kouga get up from the floor.
And then, everything went black
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People were screaming everywhere, running around like lunatics while still completely blind as a bat. He just didn't get people sometimes. Flinching at an especially painful scream, Inu Yasha shook his head. They were all so stupid; it would be better to just stay in one place, and then they wouldn't be mobbed. Besides, the lightning had knocked out the power; what was the big deal? Personally, he thought it was kind of nice. Feeling his sleeve tighten around his arm, Inu Yasha realized that not every one felt the same. Blushing slightly at the contact, Inu Yasha pulled Kagome slightly closer, untangling her hands from his clothes, and noting as he did so how often she was actually being hit by those around her. Pulling her close to him as a form of protection, he was just thankful that she didn't seem capable of the night vision he seemed to possess, or she would have otherwise, undoubtedly, mentioned the rising blush gracing his cheeks more and more as each second went by.
"Feh." Before he could even consider the meaning of his mysterious reaction to her, Inu felt something approach him from behind. He could hear Kagome gasp as he shoved her aside, away from him, no doubt shocked at the sudden change in mood, but as the lights began to flicker slowly, and the world around them became less and less like a giant whirlpool of frightened teenagers, she was left with only one sight. Kouga was on the ground, lip split and nose bleeding heavily. Inu Yasha, turning from his rival, took hold of Kagome's hand as the lights finally came on, flickering yet again, though only momentarily, before a steady stream of light once again befell them.
For the rest of that night, Kagome some how became Inu Yasha's "unofficial" date. This way, he could both spend time with her and protect her. Besides, Miroku was busy somewhere, with Sango no doubt, and he didn't have anything else to do, right? Kagome, in turn, was having thoughts of a slightly different manner.
When had he been so kind to her? Had he been nice to her all along, but she was too blind to see it? Was he really being protective of her? Every question she asked was answered with a soft, subtle, almost unnoticed subconscious "yes", a feeling that sent shivers down her spine and let loose the pin that had long since held her heart within its cage. When had she ever cared so much that she'd let him dance with her, or even be near her in general. She guessed that everything happened so fast that she never even realized that it was there, staring her in the face, until then that was. But... how much did she care about him? Did he even care about her? Well, it didn't matter; all explanations and analyzing could wait. For now she was happy, comfortable, and warm in the only place besides her mother's arms that she had ever felt safe. No matter what happened, no matter what he said, Inu Yasha would always be there for her, to protect her, and, in his own way, to care for her. What kind of caring didn't matter. As long as she was with him then, in that moment, that was all that mattered.
The world around her faded as the sounds about them tuned out, making her wonder, for just a moment, whether this whole thing was in fact just another dream, but as she felt his arms circle her waist and pull her closer, though somewhat shyly, she knew better; no dream had ever felt that good. Lulled into the rhythm of their dancing, Kagome forgot about her worries, her fears, and focused on the then and now, not to mention not falling asleep. As comfortable and warm as she was, it was, in all likely hood, a possibility, and one she would hope to avoid at that. Sure, as always, life would go on and things would return to normal, but for that moment, she hoped that time would stop, or at least slow, so that she'd never have to leave his warm embrace, nor the feeling of security and love it held.