From Romeo and Juliet
Chapter 7 – Friends?
Last time
So I guess I'm staying here for the night…But… I still want to know why he's being so… Sigh…Maybe five years is a long time to change someone… Somehow she doubted that when it involved a certain hanyou. Suddenly, she let out a small giggle. His ears really are cute though…
"Inuyasha?"
"Keh. What is it wench?"
Kagome looked around the plain bedroom and then turned back to the silver-haired hanyou. "Where will you sleep if I sleep here?"
He gave her a shrug and walked away towards the kitchen. Sighing, Kagome dragged herself to the bed and plopped down on her back. Drifting to her thoughts, she thought back to what had happened within the last twenty-four hours of her life.
She was out with a friend; Kouga got jealous and almost raped her if it wasn't for Inuyasha who saved her… He was actually nice to her and now she's at his apartment.
I need a break from life, she thought grimly. Pretty soon however, she fell asleep with thoughts of a certain silver-haired hanyou consuming her mind.
Inuyasha sat in the kitchen, thinking to himself. Damn Kikyo… Before she came… Kagome was mad about… "Agh!" Frustrated, he accidentally slammed a fist down on the table. "Shit." I hope she didn't hear that. A few moments of silence confirmed that she hadn't heard him and he sighed in relief.
I'm such a jerk… How could I have forgotten all those years ago? She obviously was hurt from it. Kagome's right; I let Kikyo do whatever she wanted… Why didn't I say anything? But… That's why I dumped her… I don't love her… Not anymore anyway…
Flashback
"It's because of her, isn't it? She's the reason you dumped me…"
End Flashback
He grimaced. He didn't even realize that he fell for her; and fell for her hard. Thinking back to high school years, he realized when he first fell for her; Kagome. It was the night of the play, Romeo and Juliet…
Flashback
Inuyasha, as Romeo stood stunned. In front of him was the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He couldn't believe it was actually Kagome. His breath caught; he couldn't speak. He hesitated before saying his line and he faltered at the word kiss.
When he got closer to her, with her breath near his, he felt a shiver running down his spine. As soon as they're lips made contact, he felt a shock of electricity surge through him.
It meant more to him, he knew.
Near the end of the play, their final kissing scene came up again.
Inuyasha was lying down and he felt Kagome moving nearer towards him. When he felt her lips touch his, he couldn't help but to kiss her back. It took him all his control not to snap right then and there. He felt her suddenly break contact and felt lonely.
When she fell on top of him, she whispered sorry and he just answered back, "Keh, it's cool wench. And by the way… Nice kiss."
End Flashback
Unknowingly, Inuyasha was smiling to himself. That was a nice kiss… Suddenly, he remembered one more thing she had mentioned to him that night.
Flashback
"It's okay Inuyasha… Don't worry about it… You probably thought I was… Someone else or something…" She let out a small chuckle and turned around again. Before she walked away, she whispered low, "But… If you wanna know… That was my first kiss…"
End Flashback
Her first kiss…
He also remembered Kikyo kissing him that night after the play. She had asked him who the better kisser was. While he had said she was, out loud, deep down, he answered, her.
Man, you got it bad.
What? Who are you?
I'm you, idiot.
Hey, if I'm an idiot, then so are you… Cuz you're me…
Keh, whatever.
Yeah, so what were you saying before?
Huh? Oh! You've fallen hard for her man…
Keh.
Inuyasha shook his head. He's talking to himself; how sad is that? He couldn't help but to really think that he did fall for Kagome all those years ago. How can I ever tell her? She's right; I was such a bastard then. I… I just need some time…
With that one last thought in mind, he walked toward the couch in the living room and got comfortable. Soon, he fell asleep with thoughts of Kagome consuming his mind, leaving a small smile on his face.
The sun shined through the curtains, blinding the raven-haired girl as she woke up. Kagome sat up and blinked a couple of times. Just then, the memories of the night before all came rushing back to her. She groaned. Reluctantly, she got out of the bed and left the bedroom. I wonder where Inuyasha slept last night? The thought of the hanyou brought a tiny blush on her face. Ah! Why am I blushing? Its just Inuyasha! The jerk from high school… Yet the same jerk who saved me from a real jerk that tried to rape me and gave me a place to sleep…
When Kagome got to the living room, she saw the cutest sight in front of her.
There Inuyasha was, still asleep on the couch. Well, he was almost falling off, yet still clung on to the couch. The expression of his face seemed peaceful and it looked like a little boys.
Kagome noticed his ears twitch every now and then and she suddenly wanted to reach and touch them. Would he mind? Nah, he's sleeping, he won't even notice…
She moved closer to the couch and sat down on the ground in front of him. Slowly, she reached towards one of his white furry ears and was about to touch it; when all of a sudden, a hand caught her wrist. Surprised, she let out a small scream.
She shut her mouth immediately and saw a pair of golden eyes glaring right back at her. She gulped. "Um… Hi!"
Inuyasha stirred slightly when he heard feet shuffling. His ears twitched and his nose recognized the familiar sweet scent. He heard someone come closer near him. When he felt an arm reach out towards him, he immediately recognized the action and grabbed the victim's wrist. He heard her scream and he opened his eyes. The familiar gaze of blue stared back at him as he glared at her.
His expression turned into a scowl. "What do you think you're doing?"
Kagome stammered. "Uh… Um… I…I was just… I thought you were sleeping…"
Inuyasha stared at the stammering girl's flustered face and couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked. His face softened slightly and he interrupted her. "I was until you woke me up. What were you trying to do?"
Kagome realized that Inuyasha still had not let her wrist go. When her eyes traveled towards her arm, he realized also and immediately let go, a small blush creeping up to his cheeks. "Sorry," he muttered.
Kagome shook her head and smiled a little. Did he just… Blush? I must be seeing things… Why would he blush?
"I'm sorry for waking you…"
Inuyasha coughed and suddenly realized how close they actually were. He sat up straight and moved over so she could sit next to him. Kagome noticed his actions, and blushed and sat down next to him, although not so close.
"So…" Inuyasha started. He was looking at the wall on the other side, facing away. "Were you trying to touch my ears?"
Kagome's face heated up even more and she faced away towards the opposite wall also. "Umm… Uh… I…I… I mean…" She stuttered. Then, she looked down shamefully and muttered, "Sorry."
Inuyasha turned his gaze to her and had an amused expression on his face. "You were really trying to touch my ears?"
Kagome looked up surprised. "I…I uh… Yes?" She was even more surprised when he suddenly scooted closer to her and slouched down a little. Uncertainly, she asked, "Inuyasha? Wha…"
"Go ahead," was all he said.
Realizing what he meant by that, she hesitantly reached for his ear that was perched on top of his head. She saw it twitch when her hand got nearer and she giggled softly.
When she felt the softness of the triangular ear on Inuyasha's head, she smiled happily. Slowly, she rubbed them like she would a dog. The next sound she heard made her gasp a little. She heard a noise somewhat like a purr, like a cat. When she looked at Inuyasha's face, his eyes were closed and he looked content. She noticed the sound was coming from him.
Suddenly, she erupted into giggles and stopped rubbing his ear.
Inuyasha snapped his eyes open at the sudden stop of her rubbing and the sound of her voice giggling. Inside, he felt happy and content that maybe he had caused her to laugh. But he had to wonder why she was. "What are you laughing at?"
Kagome calmed herself down and just had a smile on her face. "You! You were purring! Like a cat!"
Inuyasha looked confused for a split second before straightening up and crossing his arms in front of him. He pouted a little, making Kagome's smile widen. "Keh! I was not purring."
Kagome quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then what would you call the noise you were making?"
Inuyasha stuttered. "Uh… I…I uh…" Then, realizing he had nothing to say, he blushed from embarrassment. "Keh. Stupid wench, I don't know! But it was not purring! I'm half dog, not cat."
Kagome giggled some more, making Inuyasha losing his pretend anger. "That's why it's funny Inuyasha! Dogs don't purr!"
"Keh! Wench! I told you it wasn't purring!" Even though he was showing anger on the outside, Inuyasha was feeling ecstatic she wasn't yelling at him or anything. If anything, he was making her laugh and happy.
"So…" She started. "Can I play with your ears again?"
Inuyasha was taken back from her question. "Oi, wench! What's with you and my ears? They're not toys!" He was really happy on the inside that she wasn't disgusted with his hanyou traits.
Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. They're just really cute! And so soft!" She giggled when she noticed him blushing again.
The shrill ringing of the phone suddenly interrupted their little moment of fun. Inuyasha mentally cursed before getting up and going into the kitchen to answer the phone. Kagome's mood slightly went down when she saw him leave. What's wrong with me? Its just Inuyasha!
In the kitchen…
Inuyasha hurried up to pick up the phone. "What?" He snapped at the person on the other end.
"Well good morning to you too sleeping beauty!" The person answered back cheerfully.
Inuyasha groaned. Oh great, not the lecher. "What do you want Miroku?"
On the other line, Miroku was grinning from ear to ear. "What, I can't call my friend to see how he's doing this morning?"
Inuyasha growled. "Cut the crap Miroku. What do you want?"
"Nothing gets by you Inuyasha." Miroku remarked sarcastically. "Anyways… I got an interesting call last night from my dear Sango saying that… A certain lady is over at your apartment… And maybe even at this moment? Oh! Maybe you seem irritated because I might have ruined a little somethin' somethin' going on between you two! I am terribly sorry my hanyou friend!"
Inuyasha turned red and he strained from yelling over the phone. "Nothing was happening you pervert! And yeah, Kagome's here, you damn lecher. Did you call just to piss me off this morning?"
Miroku chuckled at his friend's attitude. Typical Inuyasha, he thought. "Actually, Sango just wanted me to call to check on Lady Kagome… How did you even meet her anyways? It's been five years since you guys last talked… I mean after you moved and everything… Didn't you just come back like recently? I was actually surprised you gave me a call Inuyasha. And being the good friend that I am, I didn't tell anyone you were here…"
Inuyasha interrupted him. "Shut up Miroku, you talk too much. I don't even know why I called you to tell you I came back here. I really regret it now."
Miroku faked hurt. "Ouch! That hurts Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, whatever. Listen, I gotta go. I guess I'll talk to you later because I don't think I have much choice in the matter."
"Ah, I see! You're gonna go back to Lady Kags and maybe get back to what you two were do…"
Inuyasha hung up on him before he finished his sentence. Damn pervert, he thought. He put the phone back on the cradle and headed out of the kitchen. When he went to the living room, he noticed Kagome was still on the couch, staring off into space.
He sat down next to her, still not as close as earlier.
When Kagome felt another weight plop down on the couch, she came out of her thoughts and turned to him. "Who was that on the phone Inuyasha?"
"Miroku," He grumbled.
"Miroku? He knows you're here? Who else knows you moved back here?" She was confused but gradually grew angry. Angry because no one told her he was back. Not that she cared.
He saw the change in her mood and answered before she exploded at him. "Uh I called Miroku a while ago that I was back. No one else knows I'm here. Well except Miroku and now you…"
"Why didn't Miroku tell me or Sango? Or Rin?"
Inuyasha looked down. "Because… I told him not to tell anyone…"
Kagome looked down also. "Oh… Why is that?"
"Keh, you ask too many questions wench."
Kagome was fuming and she knew it. She told herself to calm down. It's Inuyasha… He's not gonna tell me everything… Although I wish he would…
"Answer this one question Inuyasha…" Kagome started.
Inuyasha lift his head and looked at her puzzled.
"Why… Um… Why are you being so nice to me Inuyasha? If you happen to recall five years ago, I thought you hated me… Why the sudden change?"
For a second, she thought she saw fear running across his eyes. But it was gone before she knew it. I really must be seeing things…
"I don't… I don't hate you… I guess I was just stupid then…" He was interrupted once again by the phone. Saved by the ring, he thought. When he ran to get the phone, Kagome was thinking. Maybe he really did change…
"Hey wench! It's Sango. She wants to talk to you." Inuyasha came and tossed her the phone lightly. She caught it with ease. "Hello?"
"Kagome! How are you feeling?"
Kagome sweatdropped. "Just fine, Sango, thanks."
"So…" Sango drifted off.
Kagome frowned. "So… What?"
"Aren't you coming back home, or are you staying there forever? And wait a minute… Exactly who's your friend you're staying with? It was a guy that answered the phone and he sounded awfully famili… GASP! HE SOUNDED LIKE INUYASHA!"
Kagome winced. "Um, yeah, Sango… About that…"
"KAGOME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER AT INUYASHA'S PLACE? AND I THOUGHT HE MOVED! WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME!"
"Calm down Sango! And don't blame me! Miroku knew he moved back and he didn't tell us!" When Kagome was met by a silence from the other line, she felt sorry for Miroku then. Maybe I shouldn't have told her that… She looked toward Inuyasha and knew he could hear what Sango was saying. She looked apologetically at him. He just looked away.
"I can't believe he didn't tell us." Sango sounded awfully calm.
"Um, yeah… B…But it's okay! Inuyasha's been really nice and… I'm okay! Uh, I'll be at the apartment real soon okay? Tell Rin I said hi! Bye, I'll see you soon!" Again, Kagome hung up before Sango could reply.
Kagome winced when she put the phone down near her. She turned to Inuyasha and apologized. "Sorry about that… Sango is… I guess, really protective of me… She's like my older sister… Even though we're like the same age…"
Inuyasha replied. "Keh. Sounds like she's not very fond of me. What did I ever do to her anyway? Sango, Miroku, Rin, and I practically grew up together. But then again we were never really good friends… Miroku was I guess the only friend I had…" Realizing he was telling her more than she needed to know, he stopped talking.
"Oh." She didn't know what else to say.
"Keh. So uh… Do you… Do you want me to take you to your place? I mean, since you have no other way of getting there…"
"Um, sure. Thanks Inuyasha… Can I just clean myself up a bit first?"
"Yeah." He waved towards the bathroom.
Kagome stood up and headed to the bathroom.
Inuyasha decided to clean up too and he walked to his bedroom. He had his own bathroom inside.
Five minutes later, they were both ready. Inuyasha grabbed his keys and headed out to the door. Kagome followed him quickly. Neither said a word as they climbed down the long stairs. They got in Inuyasha's car without a word. Finally, Inuyasha broke the uncomfortable silence. "So um, where do you live?" Kagome told him her address and then fell silent again.
Kagome looked out the window and didn't talk at all. In truth, she didn't what to say to him. She felt nervous all of a sudden and couldn't seem to get him off her mind. What is with me? Why is he making me feel this way? Agh, I don't even know what this "feeling" even is! I think I'm going crazy… Crazy for him maybe… Ahh! I did not just think that! Okay, I need to stop. Time to think of something else… Um… Unfortunately, the only other thing that came to her mind was his ear. How soft they felt underneath her touch. His ears are so cute! She turned her gaze to her left for a second before staring out the window again. She was disappointed; he had covered them up with a bandana again. Well, he kinda looks good with a banda… Ah! No Kagome! No! Don't finish that thought!
Inuyasha was driving slower than usual. He really didn't want Kagome to go. How is he supposed to know if he's ever gonna talk to her again? Or even see her again for that matter. He turned his head to look at her and turned back to the road before she noticed. She had her gaze out the window and she was silent. Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Sigh, I can't stop thinking about her! That wench is driving me crazy! He felt his stomach do flip flops inside. Should I say something? Agh, stupid wench! He kept glancing back at her then back towards the road.
Kagome noticed Inuyasha kept glancing at her direction every now and then. She didn't comment on it and even pretending to not notice. But she couldn't help but to wonder. He's acting so weird…
A few minutes later, when Inuyasha was glancing at her again, Kagome turned her head at the exact same time. The two of them held eye contact for a second before both blushing and turning their heads again.
Great, she caught me looking at her!
Great, he caught me looking at him!
Having to have come to a decision, Inuyasha broke their silence. "Kagome…"
He said my name…
She turned towards him. "What is it Inuyasha?"
Tell her idiot. "Um… I just wanted to say… Um… That… I'm sorry for all the times I was a jerk to you in high school… I mean, five years ago… And for never saying anything when Kikyo was being a bitch…"
Kagome looked stunned. "Oh, um. It's all right Inuyasha… You don't have to…"
He cut her off. "No! I just want you to know that… I don't hate you… And I never hated you in high school either. I don't know why I was a jerk to you but I was. And… I'm sorry for that…"
Kagome still held a surprised look. "Don't dwell on the past Inuyasha… I forgive you…"
An eerie silence took over them again. But a few moments later, Inuyasha spoke again. "Listen um… I know we never really started off great… Especially in high school… So… How about we start over? You know… As friends? I mean… You don't have to, if you don't want to…"
Kagome was silent for a while. Then, she broke into a smile. "Hi, I'm Kagome. What's yours?"
Inuyasha smiled, actually smiled. "Hi, I'm Inuyasha. Nice to meet you… Friend…"
"Friends… I like the sound of that…"
Soon, the uncomfortable atmosphere broke into a more relaxed one. Inuyasha still felt butterflies in his stomach but he felt like the happiest guy in the world. She doesn't hate me… She's smiling… At me!
Inuyasha really did change… He's actually not half bad… She giggled in her head but soon erupted out loud.
Inuyasha smiled when he heard her laugh even if he didn't know why. He was just happy to hear her laugh. Her voice was angelic to him.
They spent the next fifteen minutes talking about anything and everything. They told each other stories of what happened in their lives after high school.
When the fifteen minutes were up, they both knew they had arrived at Kagome's apartment. Inuyasha was disappointed on the inside. She was leaving now.
When he looked at her, she seemed to have the same expression on her face. This made him happier in a way that she didn't want to leave either.
Kagome smiled when Inuyasha had a tiny pout on his face without him knowing it. "Thanks for everything Inuyasha… I really appreciate it… And… I hope to see you again soon."
She wants to see me again! "Keh, why not wench?" He said this with a smirk and she knew he wasn't insulting her by calling her that. She thought of it as a nickname for her from him and smiled at the thought. Without thinking, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, she opened the car door and quickly got out. Before completely leaving, she smiled and gave him a wave before disappearing behind the doors of the apartment building.
Inuyasha was still stunned by her actions. He slowly lifted his hand to where she had kissed him. He could still feel her breath on him. He felt butterflies in his stomach again and was as happy as he could ever be. They were friends now. She wanted to see him again. Everything was good.
Kagome ran inside the apartment building and leaned against the nearest wall. She couldn't believe she did that. I…I can't believe… I actually kissed him… She felt giddy. Oh gosh, what's wrong with me! I feel so… happy… Then she realized… She's falling for him…
It was true that she started to like him five years ago. That one rainy day…
Flashback
She noticed the rain stopped falling on her and saw an umbrella shielding her from the rain. Surprised, she looked next to her and found herself face to face with the emotionless face of a hanyou. Her eyes widened. "Inuyasha?" When he didn't reply back, she kept quiet, pondering why he would help her.
Time seemed slow as the two of them walked side by side. Kagome tried to talk to him again. "Inuyasha?" He didn't turn to her. "What wench?"
Kagome didn't say anything when he called her a wench. Instead, her curiosity took over her. "Don't you… Have a car?" Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, of course wench. But Kikyo took it after school." Kagome looked down. "Oh."
A few minutes later, she talked to him again. "Why are you walking with me?"
His response surprised her but made her smile a little. "I'm not a heartless bastard like my stupid half-brother wench."
End Flashback
Except for the 'like my stupid half-brother' part, when he had said he wasn't a heartless bastard, it had made her think. From that day, she started to think about him more. And the night of the play of Romeo and Juliet, it was definitely a turning point. When he had kissed her at their last scene, she had definitely felt something.
I even told him afterwards that it was my first kiss! I still can't believe I did that…
The morning when he helped her with her groceries came back to her too… He was so sweet then…
She realized just then that maybe she did like him and that was the reason why it hurt more than it should have when Kikyo said the hurtful things that night.
And now… After what happened the last twenty-four hours… She just realized… She's falling for him…
I…I think… I already have…
RR please! (and i'm sorry again for the long wait.. i cant seem to help it) i'm sorry! but i hope this chapter can make up for it!