~*~More Than What She Seems~*~

A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating last week -_- .

Chapter 11: You Wanted Me To Stay Away

"She'll be able to go home by tomorrow," the doctor said gently to Kaede.

"Oh, thank the heavens," Kaede breathed.

"Is Cousin Kag-chan going to be alright?" Shippou asked.

"Yes," Kaede answered.

She sighed and murmured, "Well, I hope so..."

*****

Kagome opened her eyes and moaned when the sunlight poured into her vision.

She sat up painfully in the hospital bed and clutched her stomach.

Her eyes wandered around the room. Her grandmother was talking to the doctor outside the door and laying on another hospital bed on the other side of the room was...Kouga.

"Why him?" Kagome plopped back down, onto the pillow behind her.

"Kagome?" Kouga asked with a surprised tone. He turned his face and looked at her. "You okay?"

"Yes," she answered.

"You know, I'm really sorry."

Kagome blinked at looked at him, "You are? Why?"

Kouga fiddled with his blanket and answered, "I was so blind. I should have known that you were taken. If I had seen that sooner, the fight wouldn't have happened and both of us wouldn't be in the hospital right now."

"So, does that mean that you're not going to bother me anymore?" she inquired.

He chuckled, "I guess so."

Kouga sat up with a wince and flashed her a grin, "It doesn't matter. I already found a girl who I'm actually really interested in."

He paused and added quickly, "No offense..."

Kagome smiled, "Yeah."

KNOCK KNOCK

"Kouga?" Ayame stuck her head into the room. "Do you need anything?"

He shook his head, "No."

"Okay then," she giggled and left.

"You're interested in Ayame now, right?" Kagome asked.

"Right you are," Kouga beamed at her.

She smiled wearily, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

*****The Next Day*****

Inu Yasha stared at Sango and shook his head.

"Sango, when are you going to talk to me again?" he asked.

"Never ever!" she sniffed and looked away. "I won't forgive you for what you did to Kagome! Now she's in the hospital!"

"Sango," Miroku took her hands. "Forgive our dear friend. He was just a stupid, jealous, jerk-"

"Hey!" Inu Yasha stomped his foot down onto Miroku's.

Miroku let out a loud yelp.

RING

"Please be seated," Mrs. Saotome instructed and held up the roll sheet.

She began to call out names. "Naraku-"

"Here," he answered before she could say his complete name.

Mrs. Saotome glanced at him and then continued, "Kagome Higurashi."

No one answered.

Mrs. Saotome marked her name, "Very well, not-"

The classroom door opened and a voice said, "Here."

Sango stared in shock as Kagome slowly walked over and took her seat beside her.

"K-Kagome?" she stammered. "Are you sure you're well enough to go to school?"

"Would I be here if I weren't?" Kagome smiled.

Sango blinked, "I guess not."

Kagome sighed with satisfaction and her eyes wandered over to the table beside them.

Miroku was looking at a magazine with...

Kagome's eyes widened, 'He's looking at porn in class! And right in front of Sango too!'

She jabbed a finger into Sango's arm and pointed at him.

Sango whipped her head towards Miroku and growled, "You perverted lech!"

Miroku held it away from her, "It's mine. I bought it with my own money."

"Y-you bought it?!" Sango twitched. "You didn't BORROW it?! You corrupted monk!"

They started bickering quietly.

Kagome eyes landed on Inu Yasha.

"Inu Yasha..." she whispered.

He turned his head and looked at her. After a moment, he looked away.

'I promised to keep away,' he thought. '...and I don't break promises.'

*****Lunch*****

"Higurashi is back..." Kikyo whined to her friends. "Yashie is going to hang out with her instead of me now."

"He ALWAYS hangs out with her," Kaguya pointed out. "And he NEVER hangs out with you."

Kikyo glared at her, "Shut up."

*****

"Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't answer.

"Ahem," Sango cleared her throat with a glare at him. "Inu Yasha, Kagome just asked you a question."

"Nothing's wrong," he murmured.

"Well, okay then!" Sango clapped her hands together, ending the conversation. "Hey, Kagome, what happened when you were in the hospital...?"

The girls started chatting.

Miroku nudged his best friend, "You're lucky, dude. Kagome doesn't seem to be mad at you one bit."

He bit into his burger, chewed, and then swallowed before continuing, "She sure does forgive easily, huh?"

"Yeah..." Inu Yasha replied.

*****After School*****

Miroku and Sango walked off.

Inu Yasha trailed behind them.

"Inu Yasha," Kagome called out to him.

He continued to walk.

"Inu Yasha," she panted, trying to catch up to him.

"Stay away," he mumbled.

Kagome halted, "What?"

"I said stay away," he stopped walking, turned around and faced her. "I don't want anyone to get hurt anymore."

Kagome answered, "B-but it wasn't your fault. You turned into a full- blooded demon right then because-"

"Shut up!" he snapped. "Everyone keeps telling me that it ISN'T my fault when it really is!"

'Well,' he thought. 'Everyone except Sango.'

"But it wasn't," Kagome took a few steps toward him.

"It was," he looked away. "And it was because of you."

Kagome trembled, "I...see."

She glared at him, "So now it's my fault?! How?!"

Inu Yasha backed away, 'What the heck...I never saw her like this before.'

Kagome stomped up to him so that they were face to face.

"You baka!" she screamed. "I forgive you. I forgave you since the day you hurt me!"

"I don't want you to forgive me!" he shouted back.

"And why is that?!"

"Because I don't deserve your forgiveness!"

SLAP

Inu Yasha stared at her dumbly, rubbing his cheek.

'She...slapped me,' he breathed.

Tears sprang up in Kagome's eyes.

She ran past him, sobbing.

He gazed after her, "Kagome..."

*****

"That bitch slapped Inu-dear!" Kikyo gasped behind the bushes. "I'm going to kill her!"

She grinned evilly, "And since she just returned from the hospital, probably not FULLY recovered, maybe I WILL kill her."

She turned to her friends behind her, "Hey, Yura, Kagura...I'm going to need your help.."

"How about us?" Kaguya and Kanna asked.

Kikyo glared at them, "I don't need you, now scat."

"But-" Kanna began.

Kaguya stopped her, "Fine, we'll leave. Why? Because you're being a bitch yourself."

Kaguya stalked off. Kanna hesitantly gazed after her, but followed.

*****

Kagome walked home stiffly. She looked up at the rain-threatening, gray, cloudy sky.

"If he doesn't want to talk to me, fine," she mumbled. "If he doesn't want my forgiveness, fine. If he doesn't want me to be near him, fine."

Tears welled up again in her eyes.

"I'll give him what he wants." She stopped in front of her house when she felt the wind around her blow fiercely.

"Ahahahahaha!" Kagura's voice laughed. "Prepare to die!"

"What?" Kagome spun around.

Someone blasted miko energy at her.

"Eeeeee!" she shrieked and dodged.

"Get back here!" Kikyo's voice yelled.

Kagome scrambled into her house, slammed the door shut, and panted hard.

The door started to rattle over and over again.

"They're trying to pound it down," she realized.

Kagome's eyes landed on the wall of weapons.

She ran to it and snatched a bow and quiver of arrows.

"I can't just let them destroy the house," she mumbled.

Kagome threw the door open and fired an arrow, entwined with miko energy, at the person on the doorstep.

Kagura shrieked as the arrow hit her and she clattered to the ground, several yards away. Her fan snapped in half.

Kagome slammed the door shut behind her and ran out of the house's range.

"Kikyo, stay away!" she ordered, already pulling back another arrow and aiming at the other miko.

"No," Kikyo scoffed. "You slapped my boyfriend and you'll pay for that."

WHOOSH

"Hey!" Kikyo scowled. "That was unfair! You fired when I let my guard down!"

Kagome pulled back another arrow and aimed at her, "Leave. Now."

Someone sliced the bow and arrow in half.

Kagome stifled a shriek.

Yura stood in front of her with a sword.

"It's not fair to attack your opponent when they aren't ready," she cooed. Yura swung her katana at her.

Kagome edged away and winced when the blade cut a small slit on her cheek.

"I suggest that you tell your stupid miko friend over there that," she hissed. She kicked at Yura's legs and managed to make Yura trip. Kagome snatched the sword that now lay next to her and scrambled onto her feet.

"Don't...come any...closer," she panted and positioned the katana defensively in front of her.

"He~llo!" Kikyo exclaimed in a high pitched voice. "Don't forget that I'm here too!"

She threw a ball of miko energy at her.

Kagome screamed when the familiar light blinded her eyes and engulfed her. The force sent her falling to the ground.

Yura used that moment as an advantage and ran over to the hurt miko and wrapped her thin string around her neck.

Kagome gasped for breath when Yura tightened the string.

"Help...me...anyone" she managed to choke out and tried to break out of the string's hold on her.

'It's gonna slice my head off,' Kagome clamped her eyes shut and struggled uselessly.

"Let...me...GO!" she yelled. Her miko aura blazed to life and burned Yura's hands.

"AAAAAAH!" Yura shrieked, losing her hold on Kagome.

Kikyo stared at her two weaponless friends.

"You two are pathetic," she sneered. She narrowed her eyes at the other miko in front of her and asked, "So, Higurashi. Will you leave the school forever and give me back my title...and boyfriend or do I have to kill you instead?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but Kikyo interrupted, "Well, actually, I'll just make it much simpler and kill you right off right now."

Kagome failed to stand up...let alone sit up as Kikyo gathered all the energy she could muster.

"Please...don't," Kagome pleaded.

Kikyo just cackled and sent the miko energy at her.

Kagome heard the miko energy roar and crackle as it got closer.

Her vision was blinded once again from the bright light.

"This is really the end..." she whispered and closed her eyes.

Kagome felt the burning heat of the miko energy a few yards away on her...growing closer and closer at every second.

"Hahaha!" she heard Kikyo laugh. "Finally, Higurashi is going to die!"

Kagome weakly stood up and tried running away unsuccessfully.

Her sight blurred. All she could see was white brightness only a few feet away from her now.

Suddenly, someone put their arms around her and took most of the impact as the miko energy hit them both.

They crashed on to the street floor.

(hehe..I forgot to mention: they're fighting in the streets. Hey, speaking of that. I know some of you would be curious about why neighbors didn't come and help Kagome...well, my answer is that Kaede, Shippou, and Kagome live in a peaceful neighborhood and that neighboring houses are slightly far from each other.)

Kagome heard the person breathe heavily.

Her eyes flickered open slowly and she whispered, "Inu Yasha..."

His golden eyes stared down at her and he panted, "Are...you okay?"

"Yes," she replied softly. Her eyes filled with tears. "But why? Why did you-"

He got off her painfully at that moment and stood up, "We'll talk later. I have to settle this first."

Kagome sat up, looked in front of them and saw Kikyo gawking at them.

"Inu-dear, WHY?" she cried out. "How could you cheat on me?!"

"WE WERE NEVER TOGETHER!" Inu Yasha exploded. "AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT'LL STAY THAT WAY!"

*PLIP*

*PLIP PLIP*

Kagome, Inu Yasha, and Kikyo looked up at the dark sky.

"Damn, it's raining!" Kikyo scowled. She gasped. "AH, my hair and uniform are going to get wet!"

She dashed off screaming, "My hair, my HAIR!"

Inu Yasha and Kagome didn't speak and just let the rain start pouring lightly down on them.

"Why.." Kagome whispered, barely audible. "Why did you save me if you wanted me to keep away from you?"

Inu Yasha stood stiffly, "Well...I..."

He didn't finish.

Kagome sighed and stood up with a wobble.

Inu Yasha reached out to help her. She shook her head and walked away from him.

"No, I'm fine," she mumbled. "Now let's get inside. We're getting wet."

*****

"Here."

Inu Yasha took the towel gratefully from Kagome and dried his drenched hair.

"So..where's your grandmother and cousin?" he asked.

Kagome, who had changed into pajamas, grimly opened up a clenched hand and revealed a crumpled piece of paper.

Inu Yasha eyed her and took it hesitantly.

"Dear Kagome," he read aloud. "I'm visiting a friend of mine and I took Shippou with me..."

His mouth fell open as he read the rest, "...and I won't be able to come home until tomorrow...Grandma. What?!"

Kagome flinched.

"It's okay," she gave him a tight smile. "I can stay home by myself...alone, with no one with me."

Inu Yasha looked into her eyes and saw the fear and sadness in them, "You're lying."

He shook his head and then asked, "Where's your room?"

"It's the first door on the right side of the hallway," she rubbed her eyes. Kagome blinked when he headed there. "Inu Yasha...what are you doing?"

She followed him to her room.

"I'm staying over," he said firmly, sitting on the ground beside her bed. "I'm not going to leave you here all alone."

Kagome remained standing in the doorway.

"Are you going to tell me now?" she asked softly, her eyes hidden by her bangs. "Are you going to tell me why you saved me?"

'Because I really like you, that's why,' Inu Yasha thought, looking away.

"No," he answered stubbornly.

Kagome rolled her eyes.

'Oh, kami,' Inu Yasha stared. 'Did she just ROLL HER EYES at me? What the heck is happening to her?'

(A/N: She's turning back to normal, that's what, Inu ^_^)

"Fine," she sighed. "Well, I guess you can stay over."

Her cheeks reddened a little.

"Are your wet clothes bothering you?" she bit her lip.

Inu Yasha shook his head, "They're almost dry."

"Okay..."

The two said nothing else for a moment.

Inu Yasha's eyes flickered over her.

'Damn, she looks so cute,' he thought and then leaned against the wall behind him.

"You should go to sleep," he murmured.

Kagome nodded and turned off the light.

Inu Yasha watched as she walked toward her bed slowly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Can't see.." she mumbled and stopped walking. "My eyes haven't adjusted yet."

"Well, I'm having no problem seeing," Inu Yasha smirked.

Kagome started to walk again and Inu Yasha realized that she was heading right towards him.

"Shut up!" she kicked his leg. Kagome realized her mistake when she lost her balance and toppled forward. She landed hard on top of him. "Mmph!"

Kagome opened her eyes and gazed into golden orbs..

"Oh, kami," she gulped. "Gomen."

Inu Yasha stared back at her, his arms wrapping around her waist and bringer her closer.

"It's okay," he replied. Inu Yasha pulled her closer until their faces were close to each other.

'Should I...?' he asked himself, leaning slightly toward her. Kagome blinked. '...maybe I shouldn't yet...'

(A/N: No! Do it Inu Yasha, do it! Everyone's wants you to! Everyone's waiting right now!)

Inu Yasha pulled her into a hug instead.

"Good night," he said stiffly.

"Yeah..um, good night," Kagome answered awkwardly. She pulled away and broke the embrace. "Well, hope the rain outside doesn't bother you and I- well, good night."

She turned her back to him and climbed into her bed.

"Yeah.." she heard him reply.

Kagome closed her eyes, 'And I hope the rain doesn't bother me either...'

A/N: The end.

...

Okay, I'm joking ^_^ Whoa, long chapter this time! So close to fluff, hm? Well, there was some action, like I said there would be. ^_~

What will happen next?

Ah! The suspense!

Please review!