Author's Note: *crickets chirping* Bitching at me to update does work. Just so you know

Disclaimer: I've said it for six chapters now; I don't own any of the characters here.

So Little They Know

Chapter 7

When Kagome, Shippo, Inu-Yasha and Kouga finally arrived at the mall, a

certain dog demon had threatened most of the people on the street with bodily

harm, almost totaled three other cars (thankfully, Kouga distracted him by

wrapping his arms around Kagome) and got into a fist fight with Inu-Yasha.

"She isn't YOUR woman! SO HANDS OFF!" Kouga merely laughed and

replied, "You can't seem to remember the 'yet' part can you?"

"Lay off wolf cub!"

"You guys, we're at the 'maw-luh' already. Can you tone it down? I think

Kagome is a bit embarrassed," Shippo interjected. In the corner, Kagome was

trying to calm down her flaming cheeks. Kouga withdrew himself from Inu-

Yasha's verbal abuse and stood behind his love interest. Placing his arm softly

around her shoulders, he asked, "Are we embarrassing you Kagome?"

"Well…just a little bit."

"In that case, I promise I'll leave off the fighting till we get home,"

Kagome's cheeks calmed to an attractive pink, "Thank you Kouga."
"Anything for my mate," before she could reply with a remark about the

'my mate' part, Inu-Yasha yelled back "Stop smooching up over there Mr. I'm-

so-sensitive!"
"Oh shut up Inu-Yasha! He's way more charming than you could ever be!"

Shippo's tail bristled up and his chest puffed out in a failed attempt to look

intimidating.

"What do you mean by that runt! I can be sensitive!"

"Just about as a sensitive as a rock can get," the voice of Kagome couldn't

get any more dead pan than it was at that moment. During their entire verbal

sparring, the group had wandered into the men's department for clothing, a small

group of inquisitive teens following behind. Excited whispers and jovial fingers

pointed towards the cute little boy dressed in a kitsune out fit and the boy with

the doggy ears. They even went as far as to remark how ruggedly handsome the

boy in the odd armor and skins was. Seeing as how both canine demons could

hear extremely well, the heard every bit of praise. Kouga was visibly taking well

to the praise. His back straight, head high, he did make a rather attractive figure

if he did say so himself. After all, he DID was the youngest Wolf Clan leader

there was. His cunning tactics and charm got him that position…Okay…maybe

not…But he was still attractive! Inu-Yasha on the other hand, wasn't so keen to

the praise. His ears were flattened to his skull, eyes narrowed and hands crossed

over his chest. Needless to say, he looked like a sulky kid. Stupid girls. Stupid,

stinky girls. They were all against him, they were all going to come and ask to

touch his ears. Their probing fingers were going to touch his ears and try to rip

them off to see if they were real. THE HORROR!! But of course, he wasn't

going to let anyone know this fear. Especially Kouga who would more than

likely try to gain the upper hand with this knowledge. No, it was better that they

didn't know this fear. Better to play tough and make Kagome like him more.

Yes, that's the ticket!

"Well now, what do we have here?" a tall, lanky and over all unattractive

man was now staring Inu-Yasha. His hooked nose protruding into the dog

demons personal space. A look of great disdain washed over the strange mans

face as he took a good look at Inu-Yasha's clothes. "Well, well. It looks like we

have an overzealous 'otaku' here on my hands now don't we?" Inu-Yasha was

starting to despise this certain character. Who did he thing he was, calling him

what sounded like some type of food?!

"Umm…my friends here are in need of some new clothes. You see, they

are from…far, far away. Could you help us?" the unscrupulous man's face lit up

in great anticipation. FASHION VICTIMS!! What type of man would he be to

let these poor souls go unredeemed by the fashion police?

"Yes! Of course I can help. Just come right this way!" Shippo bounded

happily after the man while Kouga and Inu-Yasha stayed rooted to the spot.

"I'm not going," they said in unison.

"And why not? You need clothes to fit in here!" Kagome's eyes glared

furiously at Inu-Yasha.

"We're leaving as soon as we get home SO DON'T GET COMFY!"

"Don't yell at my woman like that you shit eating mutt!"

"You're asking for it wolf-cub!"

"Bring it on!"

"Boys!" Kagome yelled. Kouga's promise to behave had obviously gone

temporarily forgotten. His teeth were clenched, body was rigid, and waiting for

the fight to come. "Kouga! You promised me that you wouldn't fight!"

"Oh yeah…" Kouga's shoulders drooped as his brain started to function.

He indeed had made a promise and not just to anyone either. But to his one and

only mate. "I'm sorry Kagome. Whenever Inu-Yasha's around, I feel as if I have

to protect your honor,"

"Honor?!" Kagome's voice echoed in the Men's Department store.

"What do you mean by that?! I have to protect HER from YOU!!" just as

Inu-Yasha pounced to attack the insolent demon, he was intercepted in mid air

by Kagome yanking on his sleeve. Unable to resist the combine forces of what

was Kagome and Gravity, he crashed down the floor with a 'BANG' in a most

undignified head.

"We are going to get you clothes and you're going wear them!"

"…Uhhhhh…."

"That's what you get for not listening to my woman. She beats you

Senseless," Inu-Yasha was only able glare unhappily as he let Kagome drag him

to what he thought was the largest market place in the world. Clothes in every

kind of color, style, and texture hung on funny looking metal rods. And it

smelled funny. In fact, it smelled awful and Kagome dragging him on the strange

matting was helping him either. Kouga on the other hand looked like he was

having a grand time watching him being dragged. Stupid mutt!

"Ah! Here we are! I've selected a fine assortment for you try!" the man

with the hooked nose exclaimed in a high and itchy sounding voice once he saw

the two boys enter. Well, one entered, the other was being led on the ground.

"Now if YOU will come with me…" the man lingered his gaze on Kouga.

Creepy. Kouga just stood there, rooted to the spot.

"Well go already," urged Kagome.

"Alone? I don't want to be with him alone."

"There's no reason to be frightened of ME," if it was at all possible, Kouga

like the man even less.

"Go with him Inu-Yasha."

"Why do I baby-sit?!"

"She's going to get mean if you don't do what she says,"

"Shut-up already!"

"What about me Kagome? Can I go with them?"

"No!" Kouga and Inu-Yasha yelled in unison.

"Why not? I'm a man too!" Shippo puffed his chest out and flexed his

arms. Over all, he looked like a pumped up plush toy.

"You'll get in the way runt."

"Inu-Yasha's right. You'll get in the way."

"Why do you have to agree now? I want to come with you?"

"Why? Just look at that guy!" Kouga pointed to the odd man who was now

rubbing his hands together.

"I want to come!"

"You need to stay and protect Kagome. If this is what one of their servants

looks like, guess how ugly the rest of em' are," whispered Kouga. Shippo's eyes

grew wide with understanding. What if MORE of the creepy men came back

and Kagome couldn't escape the 'fast-shion pole-leese'! He needed to stay with

her. Just in case. He watched the backs of the two young, canine demons retreat

behind a strange curtain. A few moments passed by silently and uneventful. That

is of course until a loud 'What the hell is that thing?' followed by a 'There is no

way I am taking THAT off' sounded the entire department. Kouga came rushing

out. He had a white shirt on, although not buttoned but was still wearing his wolf

skin pelts. Kagome found herself staring at his unadorned chest, her mouth

completely dry. Even with his raggedy fur pelts on and his hair un-cared for, a

strange sensation began to arise in her stomach and spread through out the rest

of her body.

"Why are you staring at him for Kagome?" shaken out of her trance,

Kagome blushed a fantastic shade of red before replying, "I was just thinking

about a math problem! Nothing at all!"

"It must be one tough 'mah-thuh' problem for you to over extend your

brain so much. Just look at your face! I bet you're overworked."

"Thanks Shippo. What's the hold up Kouga?" Kouga's eyes were wide in

disbelief and seemed to pop out of his numbskull-head.

"That MAN tried to get my pants off!"

"So? How else are you supposed to wear slacks?"

"Slacks? It sounds more like a torture weapon."

"Just wear them Kouga. And button your shirt up!" she called before he

disappeared behind the curtain. Pushing the fabric to the side, Kouga turned

around to Kagome, "I kinda like this breezy feeling!"

"Button it up!" a single eye brow raised in mischievous fascination on

Kouga's brow.

"I don't under stand this 'button-up' part. Maybe you should come and

show me?"

"You pervert wolf! Get away from Kagome!" came the ruffled reply of

Inu-Yasha who was still in the changing room. Loud banging, ripping and

bellowing soon ensued after before a red faced half-demon wobbled outside.

Kagome's face blanched while Shippo started in peels of laughter. Inu-Yasha had

obviously never worn shorts before and had mistaken them for a hair restraint.

His silvery hair jutted out from the pant leg openings. A shirt similar to Kouga's

was wrapped around his waist. He had tried to button it up but resorted to just

tying the arms together. The socks on the other hand, were currently warming

his hands.

"What the hell are you laughing about?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!

You don't invite women into those…things alone!? You're just some sick and
twisted individual who wants some!!"
"GET BACK INTO THE CHANGING ROOM INU-YASHA!!" at this
point, Kagome was so embarrassed for Inu-Yasha, she couldn't look at him.

"You look like a freak Dog turd."

"And you're a sick bastard."

"Freak."

"Bastard!"

"Freak!!"

"If you two don't get into the changing stalls and put on your clothes

correctly. I'm going to get angry," Kagome's voice was barely loud enough for

any one to hear, but the cut throat edge to it caused the bickering duo to freeze.

Then ever so slowly, trudge back into the 'changeling-stalls'. The greasy man
that everyone had temporarily forgotten, materialized out of no where.

"Would you like me to assist them?"

"Yes. Do," she replied. When the boys came out from the stalls, dressed

correctly (save for Kouga. He was NOT going to button up the shirt), Kagome

gave a happy smile. "Now look at you two! You're so handsome I bet the girls

won't leave you alone!" indeed, the two did look attractive. Kouga was wearing

a crisp white shirt that he had buttoned half way up. He decided to compromise

on the buttoning part and go at least half way. A tie hung around his neck untied.

It gave him a nice laid back, I-don't-know-how-to-tie-a-tie look. Black slacks

hang on his legs, covering up the skin while still giving the viewer the impression

he was well built (and oh how well he was!). Inu-Yasha actually had his clothes

on correctly down to the socks! He wore and un-tucked white shirt that didn't

quite cling but wasn't loose. The shorts had obviously been discarded for a pair

of baggy skater pants, the suspenders hanging to the sides. Obviously, he had

gotten tangled into the straps and opted to leave them off. Over all, they looked

good!

"Alright boys! Time to pay and go home!" Kouga gave Inu-Yasha one last
withering glare. "You still look like a freak."

"Bastard"
Chapter 8.…coming up next!