Yaya!!! More Inuki and Kagome fluff! I think you guys like it~ lol ;p This (rather long) chapter was written with volume 2, chapter 9 in mind (that's eppie 7 of the anime, boys and girls) ^-^ But since Inuki has a bit more of an open personality than Inuyasha does, the ending is different~ Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer:: I dont own Inuyasha. But this story, the events and ideas belong to Kellye Strode, Tessenchan 2003.
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Six :: Always Protect You
"Hey baby, why don't you and me get some lunch after school?"
Shiori eyed the tall, lanky and unfamiliar senior, not really liking the way he scrutinized her small form, his eyes straying too long on her cleavage and hips, as meager as they were. She turned back towards the sidewalk and shook her head. "No thanks."
The senior, whose school uniform she now recognized as Moshimori High's, jogged up behind her. Quickly two other boys, both tall, rather promiscuous looking and wearing the same uniform, appeared from in front of Shiori.
"C'mon pumpkin, it's just lunch. We're buying, and maybe you can serve us a little... treat, after."
Starting to get nervous, Shiori shook her head. "I said no already."
"What's wrong with you honey, ya don't like the look of this hot stuff?" He gestured to himself and Shiori frowned, backed up against a tree as the three boys towered over her. "It's not that, really, it's just that... well, I have to get home to practice the piano and help my mother and I should really be home and all that..."
"Plus you don't look like you 've bathed in six weeks you muscleheads." said another voice and they all glanced behind them. Kagome stood with her arms crossed, face angry. "She said no already, what else do you want?"
"Babe, you got a problem with us asking your little friend here on a little four-way date?" asked one of the boys, and another smirked. "Maybe you're just jealous, huh? Never had a date eh sweet stuff?"
"Not the kind you're wanting, Toshiba." said the angry former miko, and Lead Pig frowned. "How do you know my name?" Sighing, Kagome reached in between them and grabbed Shiori's hand, pulling the smaller girl away from them.
"Any idiot who watches television knows about you scum. Toshiba Ryou, Morioka Kenji, and Watanabe Arata. You three have been on TV since you were my age. For both good and bad reasons." She raised her eyebrows. "You wouldn't want to get into MORE trouble would you? Get kicked off the Moshimori soccer team again this season? Make your parents dish out even more money to get you BACK on? AGAIN?"
Lead Pig aka Toshiba frowned. "Whatever. We'll just hafta chat with you later Higurashi, about the way you treat your elders." The three pigs shuffled away.
As they walked away, Shiori sighed, her hand to her chest. "Wow, thanks alot, Kagome-chan... I just never know how to deal with that. Guys like them scare me." Kagome smiled. "No problem. Just don't let them back you up like that. Guys like that are total pigs!"
Shiori laughed nervously. "Y-yeah, I guess."
~*~
Her hands were warm on his face. The silver streams of tears ran down her cheeks as her mouth worked his name soundlessly over and over. He mouthed something mindless at her, his hoarse voice not audible over her cries. He tried to reach up to her, but couldn't move his hands.
His body was cold, numb, and where he could still feel there was the lukewarm feel of liquid around him. His blood. He knew that by now. Chilling underneath his very hands, drenching his clothes, pulling his soul downward....
Behind her, shadowed faces of his friends. A child, another girl, and a man. What were their names? He couldn't remember. It was so dark.
His eyes slid closed and he took a shuddering gasp as the blood filled his lungs. "Kagome...!" He choked on the word. Not just the word. He was choking on his own blood. Is this how Death was? Was he really going to die like this? Without having said anything? Without telling her how he felt?
Please let her hear me! ...Kagome... Kagome!!
"KAGOME!"
Inuki sat up in bed with a yell, panting. He sat still for a moment, unable to move. His body was drenched in a cold sweat, his heart pounding against his chest frantically.
He surveyed the room. Not a rocky, desecrated battlefield. His bed. He wasn't bleeding, hell he wasn't even wounded. His head hurt. He finally breathed out shakily, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. *I can't take this anymore... goddamn nightmare...*
"Inuki-niichan?"
Inuki peered from the bottom bunk up at Souta, who looked like he'd just peed the bed against his will. Inuki winced, realizing he must've woken the boy when he cried out in his sleep. "Sorry kid, didn't mean to wake you up..."
"That's okay, it's not a problem..." the boy murmured softly in the dark, and made a sound like he was trying to decide whether or not to ask a particular question. He finally just shook his head and shrugged the matter off. "I'm gonna go back to sleep then, if you're okay, Inuki-niichan."
"Yeah, go on back to bed," the teen agreed, standing up and tying back his loose hair in a ponytail. He headed out of the room, looking to find something to get his mind off the recurring and, as of recent, much more chilling nightmare. Every night the details got more and more... detailed.
He turned to shut the door behind him, and then let out another yell when he turned to see Kagome standing in front of him. "WAH!"
"Kyaaaaa!!" the girl screamed also, merely out of surprise that he'd yelled at all. "What is the matter with you!?" she demanded finally, and Inuki grit his teeth. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"I scared you? You scared me!!! Quit yelling, you idiot!" she ordered and Inuki growled to himself some curse before stepping around her. "Woman..."
Kagome watched him head down the stairs, concerned. His shoulders seemed to sag with some great burden, and the weary expression on his face was very unlike him. She'd woken up when she heard him yell her name, and knew something was wrong instantly. He didn't call her by her first name.
Plus there was that whole she scared him thing. Only if he was really off his game would he not smell her or hear her coming.
She darted into her room and grabbed her robe, flinging it on as she headed down the stairs. Inuki was in the kitchen, standing at the sink, filling a glass of water. She watched him take some aspirin and then walked in, concerned. People didn't wake up just because of a random headache. He heard her coming this time and turned, surprised.
"Why are you still up?" he wondered and she shrugged, sliding into her chair. "Couldn't sleep."
He looked back at the glass. "Me neither..."
"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked and Inuki shook his head. "No, nothing. At least, nothing I have to worry about. It happens all the time....."
Kagome drew circles on the table with her finger before looking back up at him. "What does?"
"Nothing." Inuki walked towards the table and slid into his chair quietly, leaning against his hand and idly drumming his fingers on the table. His nails were longer again, she noticed. Kagome watched him for a moment before reaching out and gently resting her hand on his, stopping the incessant drumming and clacking of his long nails.
Inuki released a breath he hasn't realized he'd been holding. Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Yashagawa-kun..."
"I'm okay," he told her quickly, "Everyone has nightmares."
Kagome nodded, her face commiserating. "But you look really shaken up."
He shook his head. "No, it's just... I've had this same dream since I was a kid. When I was little it used to scare me really bad. It only came sometimes back then... but for the past few years, I've had it almost every night..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing.
"It's not so much that it scares me anymore, but just that... I don't understand it. The emotions in it are so real... I wake up and I feel like my heart is breaking. Like the most important part of me was torn away from me, and I wasn't ready for her to go."
Kagome watched him for a moment before glancing down and abruptly realizing she was still holding his hand. She snatched it away in embarrassed surprise, and Inuki blushed also, staring at the table numbly.
Kagome studied the whorl patterns in the wood before looking up. "Are you... I mean... 'her?'" She recalled what he'd said, 'wasn't ready for HER to go,' and it stuck out in her mind. Inuki? With a special 'her' someone?
Not likely. The boy could hardly compliment her without 85% of it being insult; working that into a dating system was just funny to Kagome. As if to set it in stone, Inuki just stared at her, his face saying, 'Like I'm gonna tell you.'
Kagome sighed at his bullheadedness. "Do you know what it's about?"
Inuki nodded his head. "It shows me what Death is like. I'm dying."
Kagome looked horrified at this revelation, and Inuki gasped. "In the dream! Not for real!"
She sighed with relief, then gave him a reprimanding glare. "Don't scare me like that."
He smiled faintly. "Thanks, Higurashi."
She blinked. "For what?"
Inuki just grinned, and then he stood. "I'm going back to bed. See ya in the morning."
Kagome stared after him in consternation.
~*~
"GOAL! Takahashi wins by four points!!"
In the stands Kagome jumped to her feet and cheered loudly, clapping. At her side, Mama and Souta also leapt for joy, scattering Jiichan with popcorn. The old man's annoyed groans went unnoticed as the trio filed out towards the field where Team Takahashi was partying it up.
The referee managed to get Team Takahashi and Team Moshimori lined up to shake each other's hands, and afterward both teams dispersed.
Kagome went up to Inuki, trying to ignore how damn hot he looked in his navy and dark red soccer uniform. He looked down at her, grinning elatedly. He was out of breath from running to score the final goal and his hair clung to his face with sweat. She resisted to urge to pluck off the long strands from his forehead.
"Hey," he huffed, and she grinned at him. "That was awesome." He shrugged. "Thanks, but.. coulda been better. I messed up in the third quarter."
"You did fine," Mama insisted, and then smiled, clapping her hands together emphatically. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and then we'll go grab a bite to eat! In celebration of Takahashi School's win."
There were three cheers of various intensity, the boys being the loudest. Mama nodded and went with Jiichan to start the car, bringing Souta along. Kagome leaned against the brick wall outside the boy's locker room to wait for Inuki.
He was in and out, coming out wearing his typical torn jeans and basic shirt/overshirt combo. Kagome smiled at him as he hefted his duffel bag and turned down the hallway towards the guest parking. "So, where so you want to go? Wacdonald's? That's so redundant now, but I bet Souta will... Yashagawa-kun?"
Kagome glanced up at him. The boy had stopped, his face tight. She looked up at what he was looking at, and swallowed nervously. The doors just out of the hallway had been darkened by the looming figures of three boys.
It was Toshiba, Morioka and Watanabe.
"What do you three want?" Inuki wondered.
"Just a little chat with Higurashi there," Toshiba said, "We'll get her back to you when we're through."
Inuki glanced at Kagome sideways. She was a little pale, her eyes wide. She was clinging to his arm a little, unconsciously. He looked back at the Moshimori seniors. "Sorry, I don't think she wants to go with you."
"Move it, Yashagawa, or we'll move you ourselves." Watanabe threatened, and at that Inuki raised his eyebrows defiantly. "Try it."
Toshiba threw the first punch, and Inuki deftly dodged to the side, and in one motion grabbed Toshiba's hair and pulled him down onto his knee. Kagome gave a yell of surprise and Inuki grabbed her by her sweater, yanking her forward with him.
"Get out of here~" he ordered, tossing her his duffel bag, and Kagome gasped aloud. "What about you?!"
Inuki didn't reply right away, he was busy dodging and parrying a flurry of Watanabe's punches. He caught the bulkier boy's fist and went forward with his elbow, pounding into Watanabe's nose. The guy gave a yelp of pain and reeled, and Inuki looked up at Kagome. "They'll just chase us if I go now! I'll be fine, go on ahead, I'll be right behind you!"
"But--" Kagome gasped aloud when Morioka kneed Inuki in the stomach, and he went down, cursing loudly. Morioka reached down and grabbed Inuki by his hair, dragging him back to his feet, and he was met when a solid uppercut to the jaw and a roundhouse kick. Morioka slid across the slick linoleum.
Inuki stepped back and into Toshiba, who caught the smaller boy by the elbows, docking his ability to move much, and he swung him face-first into the brink wall. Reeling, Inuki twisted, trying to free one arm to fight back, but Toshiba brought up his knee in a painful blow to Inuki's kidneys.
When Inuki cried out Kagome felt an old emotion flare to life inside her again. She found herself wishing Toshiba was a demon so she could dust the jerk. Instead she raced at him.
"You jerk, let go of him!" She swung Inuki's duffel bag at the lug's head, and a satisfying crack was heard when Inuki's soccer cleats, which were in the bag, came into fierce contact with Toshiba's face. He let go and stumbled back, and Inuki cursed at her. "I said get out of here, why are you still here?"
"You can't beat all of them by yourself, you idiot, stop being so noble!"
"Can't help it," he growled, and turned his intense brown eyes on her. "I'm gonna protect you. Whether you like it or not."
Kagome caught her breath, blinking. Did he just say he would protect me? "But Yashagawa-kun..."
He stood then, grabbing her around the waist and darting forward as Watanabe, nose bleeding, punched at him. He left her at the wall. "Fine. Stay here and watch."
He flew back into the fray, taking out Watanabe again, this time with a kick between the legs. Morioka came charging back and the pair exchanged blows, Inuki catching a fist to the jaw. Inuki knocked him to the ground with a leg sweep and then punched into his gut, leaving the senior writhing on the floor.
Toshiba came back fiercely and pounded Inuki in the stomach. Doubled over, Inuki kicked back, slamming his heel into Toshiba's forehead. The senior reeled backward and Inuki went forward, his right arm pumping forward. He caught Toshiba in the temple and the bigger guy went down.
Three Moshimori soccer members lay sprawled in the Takahashi gym floor, unconscious.
Inuki turned and he and Kagome met eyes. She gaped at him, surprised. He looked fairly roughed up, but wasn't even close to Inuyasha, even on one of the hanyou's better days. But for a human... Inuki reached out and took Kagome's hand, pulling her to her feet.
For a moment she stared up in wonder at him, and Inuki turned, taking his duffel bag. "Let's go."
~*~
"Ow!"
"Don't yell at me, loudmouth," Kagome admonished and Inuki nodded, wincing again as she dabbed at small wound on his arm.
"Fine," he agreed, and then stated nobly, "Ow. That stings."
"Ha ha, you're funny." She moved away, rinsing the washcloth and then reapplying some antiseptic and pressing it to a wound on his temple.
He flinched and made a pained sound, and Kagome bit her lip. "Sorry." She dabbed away some of the blood and then set down the cloth, fetching a bandage as she did.
Inuki settled back against the table. "You don't have to take care of me," he said softly, and Kagome eyed him briefly as she applied the Band-Aid. "Yes I do. You got hurt protecting me."
Inuki's eyebrows knit with that insatiable irritation he got with her when she acted like he was a guest in her house and not a friend. "Don't act like it's something you have to repay, that was my decision. And I would do it again."
Kagome looked at him, swallowing. His face was so close. He hadn't taken his eyes off her, and she was starting to get the fluttery feeling she used to get when Inuyasha had looked at her that way. It was disturbing how much he looked like Inuyasha, and yet looked enough like his own person that she knew it wasn't him.
Kagome looked away even as her face turned red. Inuki noticed her reaction to him but chose not to call her on it; she looked like she had enough embarrassment in her own head. Instead he looked over his minor wounds and the various Band-Aids.
"Thanks Higurashi," he said and Kagome nodded, her voice hardly audible. "Sure." Aggravated with her meek silence, he leaned over, brushing his nose against hers, and she blushed a glowing red from the roots over her hair down her neck. He only did it to get her attention, and sure enough it worked.
"You gonna thank me or what?"
She stopped, irked. "Huh?" He shrugged. "Well, I saved your life. Who knows what those punks would've done to you? Don't I get a little thanks?"
Kagome narrowed one eye, a single vein popping out on her forehead. How dare he call her on that! Wasn't dressing his wounds, however minor, thanks enough? Plus he'd said he would have done it whether she wanted him to or not! He wanted thanks for his own decision?
She stood, preparing for a good rant when he stood up also, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Yeesh, I was just kidding. Don't get all riled up."
He turned to head out of the living room, but stopped at the door and turned back to her. She was gathering the antiseptic ointment and bandages back into her first aid kit, muttering under her breath about men. He knew who she was, a strong, fiery and resourceful girl, but despite that, she looked so very small and fragile. He knew she could be hurt. Easily.
He never wanted to see her hurt. He never wanted to see her cry. "Higurashi."
Kagome looked up in surprise. She'd thought he had left the room in favor of something a bit more comfortable, like his bed. Seeing him still standing there, watching her, was perplexing. "Hm?"
"I'll always be there to protect you. I promise."
His face was resolute. There was no hesitation, no doubt, in his eyes. Only determination. And Kagome could see Inuyasha shining through. Her strong, capable hanyou in the form of the human boy who had dropped into her life and into the seat next to her in homeroom. She smiled.
"Thank you."
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Awh, how sweet~ Did you like? Please review and lemme know!!! Questions, comments, ideas~? ^-^ You guys know I love it! Peace~
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
Disclaimer:: I dont own Inuyasha. But this story, the events and ideas belong to Kellye Strode, Tessenchan 2003.
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Six :: Always Protect You
"Hey baby, why don't you and me get some lunch after school?"
Shiori eyed the tall, lanky and unfamiliar senior, not really liking the way he scrutinized her small form, his eyes straying too long on her cleavage and hips, as meager as they were. She turned back towards the sidewalk and shook her head. "No thanks."
The senior, whose school uniform she now recognized as Moshimori High's, jogged up behind her. Quickly two other boys, both tall, rather promiscuous looking and wearing the same uniform, appeared from in front of Shiori.
"C'mon pumpkin, it's just lunch. We're buying, and maybe you can serve us a little... treat, after."
Starting to get nervous, Shiori shook her head. "I said no already."
"What's wrong with you honey, ya don't like the look of this hot stuff?" He gestured to himself and Shiori frowned, backed up against a tree as the three boys towered over her. "It's not that, really, it's just that... well, I have to get home to practice the piano and help my mother and I should really be home and all that..."
"Plus you don't look like you 've bathed in six weeks you muscleheads." said another voice and they all glanced behind them. Kagome stood with her arms crossed, face angry. "She said no already, what else do you want?"
"Babe, you got a problem with us asking your little friend here on a little four-way date?" asked one of the boys, and another smirked. "Maybe you're just jealous, huh? Never had a date eh sweet stuff?"
"Not the kind you're wanting, Toshiba." said the angry former miko, and Lead Pig frowned. "How do you know my name?" Sighing, Kagome reached in between them and grabbed Shiori's hand, pulling the smaller girl away from them.
"Any idiot who watches television knows about you scum. Toshiba Ryou, Morioka Kenji, and Watanabe Arata. You three have been on TV since you were my age. For both good and bad reasons." She raised her eyebrows. "You wouldn't want to get into MORE trouble would you? Get kicked off the Moshimori soccer team again this season? Make your parents dish out even more money to get you BACK on? AGAIN?"
Lead Pig aka Toshiba frowned. "Whatever. We'll just hafta chat with you later Higurashi, about the way you treat your elders." The three pigs shuffled away.
As they walked away, Shiori sighed, her hand to her chest. "Wow, thanks alot, Kagome-chan... I just never know how to deal with that. Guys like them scare me." Kagome smiled. "No problem. Just don't let them back you up like that. Guys like that are total pigs!"
Shiori laughed nervously. "Y-yeah, I guess."
~*~
Her hands were warm on his face. The silver streams of tears ran down her cheeks as her mouth worked his name soundlessly over and over. He mouthed something mindless at her, his hoarse voice not audible over her cries. He tried to reach up to her, but couldn't move his hands.
His body was cold, numb, and where he could still feel there was the lukewarm feel of liquid around him. His blood. He knew that by now. Chilling underneath his very hands, drenching his clothes, pulling his soul downward....
Behind her, shadowed faces of his friends. A child, another girl, and a man. What were their names? He couldn't remember. It was so dark.
His eyes slid closed and he took a shuddering gasp as the blood filled his lungs. "Kagome...!" He choked on the word. Not just the word. He was choking on his own blood. Is this how Death was? Was he really going to die like this? Without having said anything? Without telling her how he felt?
Please let her hear me! ...Kagome... Kagome!!
"KAGOME!"
Inuki sat up in bed with a yell, panting. He sat still for a moment, unable to move. His body was drenched in a cold sweat, his heart pounding against his chest frantically.
He surveyed the room. Not a rocky, desecrated battlefield. His bed. He wasn't bleeding, hell he wasn't even wounded. His head hurt. He finally breathed out shakily, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. *I can't take this anymore... goddamn nightmare...*
"Inuki-niichan?"
Inuki peered from the bottom bunk up at Souta, who looked like he'd just peed the bed against his will. Inuki winced, realizing he must've woken the boy when he cried out in his sleep. "Sorry kid, didn't mean to wake you up..."
"That's okay, it's not a problem..." the boy murmured softly in the dark, and made a sound like he was trying to decide whether or not to ask a particular question. He finally just shook his head and shrugged the matter off. "I'm gonna go back to sleep then, if you're okay, Inuki-niichan."
"Yeah, go on back to bed," the teen agreed, standing up and tying back his loose hair in a ponytail. He headed out of the room, looking to find something to get his mind off the recurring and, as of recent, much more chilling nightmare. Every night the details got more and more... detailed.
He turned to shut the door behind him, and then let out another yell when he turned to see Kagome standing in front of him. "WAH!"
"Kyaaaaa!!" the girl screamed also, merely out of surprise that he'd yelled at all. "What is the matter with you!?" she demanded finally, and Inuki grit his teeth. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"I scared you? You scared me!!! Quit yelling, you idiot!" she ordered and Inuki growled to himself some curse before stepping around her. "Woman..."
Kagome watched him head down the stairs, concerned. His shoulders seemed to sag with some great burden, and the weary expression on his face was very unlike him. She'd woken up when she heard him yell her name, and knew something was wrong instantly. He didn't call her by her first name.
Plus there was that whole she scared him thing. Only if he was really off his game would he not smell her or hear her coming.
She darted into her room and grabbed her robe, flinging it on as she headed down the stairs. Inuki was in the kitchen, standing at the sink, filling a glass of water. She watched him take some aspirin and then walked in, concerned. People didn't wake up just because of a random headache. He heard her coming this time and turned, surprised.
"Why are you still up?" he wondered and she shrugged, sliding into her chair. "Couldn't sleep."
He looked back at the glass. "Me neither..."
"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked and Inuki shook his head. "No, nothing. At least, nothing I have to worry about. It happens all the time....."
Kagome drew circles on the table with her finger before looking back up at him. "What does?"
"Nothing." Inuki walked towards the table and slid into his chair quietly, leaning against his hand and idly drumming his fingers on the table. His nails were longer again, she noticed. Kagome watched him for a moment before reaching out and gently resting her hand on his, stopping the incessant drumming and clacking of his long nails.
Inuki released a breath he hasn't realized he'd been holding. Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Yashagawa-kun..."
"I'm okay," he told her quickly, "Everyone has nightmares."
Kagome nodded, her face commiserating. "But you look really shaken up."
He shook his head. "No, it's just... I've had this same dream since I was a kid. When I was little it used to scare me really bad. It only came sometimes back then... but for the past few years, I've had it almost every night..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing.
"It's not so much that it scares me anymore, but just that... I don't understand it. The emotions in it are so real... I wake up and I feel like my heart is breaking. Like the most important part of me was torn away from me, and I wasn't ready for her to go."
Kagome watched him for a moment before glancing down and abruptly realizing she was still holding his hand. She snatched it away in embarrassed surprise, and Inuki blushed also, staring at the table numbly.
Kagome studied the whorl patterns in the wood before looking up. "Are you... I mean... 'her?'" She recalled what he'd said, 'wasn't ready for HER to go,' and it stuck out in her mind. Inuki? With a special 'her' someone?
Not likely. The boy could hardly compliment her without 85% of it being insult; working that into a dating system was just funny to Kagome. As if to set it in stone, Inuki just stared at her, his face saying, 'Like I'm gonna tell you.'
Kagome sighed at his bullheadedness. "Do you know what it's about?"
Inuki nodded his head. "It shows me what Death is like. I'm dying."
Kagome looked horrified at this revelation, and Inuki gasped. "In the dream! Not for real!"
She sighed with relief, then gave him a reprimanding glare. "Don't scare me like that."
He smiled faintly. "Thanks, Higurashi."
She blinked. "For what?"
Inuki just grinned, and then he stood. "I'm going back to bed. See ya in the morning."
Kagome stared after him in consternation.
~*~
"GOAL! Takahashi wins by four points!!"
In the stands Kagome jumped to her feet and cheered loudly, clapping. At her side, Mama and Souta also leapt for joy, scattering Jiichan with popcorn. The old man's annoyed groans went unnoticed as the trio filed out towards the field where Team Takahashi was partying it up.
The referee managed to get Team Takahashi and Team Moshimori lined up to shake each other's hands, and afterward both teams dispersed.
Kagome went up to Inuki, trying to ignore how damn hot he looked in his navy and dark red soccer uniform. He looked down at her, grinning elatedly. He was out of breath from running to score the final goal and his hair clung to his face with sweat. She resisted to urge to pluck off the long strands from his forehead.
"Hey," he huffed, and she grinned at him. "That was awesome." He shrugged. "Thanks, but.. coulda been better. I messed up in the third quarter."
"You did fine," Mama insisted, and then smiled, clapping her hands together emphatically. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and then we'll go grab a bite to eat! In celebration of Takahashi School's win."
There were three cheers of various intensity, the boys being the loudest. Mama nodded and went with Jiichan to start the car, bringing Souta along. Kagome leaned against the brick wall outside the boy's locker room to wait for Inuki.
He was in and out, coming out wearing his typical torn jeans and basic shirt/overshirt combo. Kagome smiled at him as he hefted his duffel bag and turned down the hallway towards the guest parking. "So, where so you want to go? Wacdonald's? That's so redundant now, but I bet Souta will... Yashagawa-kun?"
Kagome glanced up at him. The boy had stopped, his face tight. She looked up at what he was looking at, and swallowed nervously. The doors just out of the hallway had been darkened by the looming figures of three boys.
It was Toshiba, Morioka and Watanabe.
"What do you three want?" Inuki wondered.
"Just a little chat with Higurashi there," Toshiba said, "We'll get her back to you when we're through."
Inuki glanced at Kagome sideways. She was a little pale, her eyes wide. She was clinging to his arm a little, unconsciously. He looked back at the Moshimori seniors. "Sorry, I don't think she wants to go with you."
"Move it, Yashagawa, or we'll move you ourselves." Watanabe threatened, and at that Inuki raised his eyebrows defiantly. "Try it."
Toshiba threw the first punch, and Inuki deftly dodged to the side, and in one motion grabbed Toshiba's hair and pulled him down onto his knee. Kagome gave a yell of surprise and Inuki grabbed her by her sweater, yanking her forward with him.
"Get out of here~" he ordered, tossing her his duffel bag, and Kagome gasped aloud. "What about you?!"
Inuki didn't reply right away, he was busy dodging and parrying a flurry of Watanabe's punches. He caught the bulkier boy's fist and went forward with his elbow, pounding into Watanabe's nose. The guy gave a yelp of pain and reeled, and Inuki looked up at Kagome. "They'll just chase us if I go now! I'll be fine, go on ahead, I'll be right behind you!"
"But--" Kagome gasped aloud when Morioka kneed Inuki in the stomach, and he went down, cursing loudly. Morioka reached down and grabbed Inuki by his hair, dragging him back to his feet, and he was met when a solid uppercut to the jaw and a roundhouse kick. Morioka slid across the slick linoleum.
Inuki stepped back and into Toshiba, who caught the smaller boy by the elbows, docking his ability to move much, and he swung him face-first into the brink wall. Reeling, Inuki twisted, trying to free one arm to fight back, but Toshiba brought up his knee in a painful blow to Inuki's kidneys.
When Inuki cried out Kagome felt an old emotion flare to life inside her again. She found herself wishing Toshiba was a demon so she could dust the jerk. Instead she raced at him.
"You jerk, let go of him!" She swung Inuki's duffel bag at the lug's head, and a satisfying crack was heard when Inuki's soccer cleats, which were in the bag, came into fierce contact with Toshiba's face. He let go and stumbled back, and Inuki cursed at her. "I said get out of here, why are you still here?"
"You can't beat all of them by yourself, you idiot, stop being so noble!"
"Can't help it," he growled, and turned his intense brown eyes on her. "I'm gonna protect you. Whether you like it or not."
Kagome caught her breath, blinking. Did he just say he would protect me? "But Yashagawa-kun..."
He stood then, grabbing her around the waist and darting forward as Watanabe, nose bleeding, punched at him. He left her at the wall. "Fine. Stay here and watch."
He flew back into the fray, taking out Watanabe again, this time with a kick between the legs. Morioka came charging back and the pair exchanged blows, Inuki catching a fist to the jaw. Inuki knocked him to the ground with a leg sweep and then punched into his gut, leaving the senior writhing on the floor.
Toshiba came back fiercely and pounded Inuki in the stomach. Doubled over, Inuki kicked back, slamming his heel into Toshiba's forehead. The senior reeled backward and Inuki went forward, his right arm pumping forward. He caught Toshiba in the temple and the bigger guy went down.
Three Moshimori soccer members lay sprawled in the Takahashi gym floor, unconscious.
Inuki turned and he and Kagome met eyes. She gaped at him, surprised. He looked fairly roughed up, but wasn't even close to Inuyasha, even on one of the hanyou's better days. But for a human... Inuki reached out and took Kagome's hand, pulling her to her feet.
For a moment she stared up in wonder at him, and Inuki turned, taking his duffel bag. "Let's go."
~*~
"Ow!"
"Don't yell at me, loudmouth," Kagome admonished and Inuki nodded, wincing again as she dabbed at small wound on his arm.
"Fine," he agreed, and then stated nobly, "Ow. That stings."
"Ha ha, you're funny." She moved away, rinsing the washcloth and then reapplying some antiseptic and pressing it to a wound on his temple.
He flinched and made a pained sound, and Kagome bit her lip. "Sorry." She dabbed away some of the blood and then set down the cloth, fetching a bandage as she did.
Inuki settled back against the table. "You don't have to take care of me," he said softly, and Kagome eyed him briefly as she applied the Band-Aid. "Yes I do. You got hurt protecting me."
Inuki's eyebrows knit with that insatiable irritation he got with her when she acted like he was a guest in her house and not a friend. "Don't act like it's something you have to repay, that was my decision. And I would do it again."
Kagome looked at him, swallowing. His face was so close. He hadn't taken his eyes off her, and she was starting to get the fluttery feeling she used to get when Inuyasha had looked at her that way. It was disturbing how much he looked like Inuyasha, and yet looked enough like his own person that she knew it wasn't him.
Kagome looked away even as her face turned red. Inuki noticed her reaction to him but chose not to call her on it; she looked like she had enough embarrassment in her own head. Instead he looked over his minor wounds and the various Band-Aids.
"Thanks Higurashi," he said and Kagome nodded, her voice hardly audible. "Sure." Aggravated with her meek silence, he leaned over, brushing his nose against hers, and she blushed a glowing red from the roots over her hair down her neck. He only did it to get her attention, and sure enough it worked.
"You gonna thank me or what?"
She stopped, irked. "Huh?" He shrugged. "Well, I saved your life. Who knows what those punks would've done to you? Don't I get a little thanks?"
Kagome narrowed one eye, a single vein popping out on her forehead. How dare he call her on that! Wasn't dressing his wounds, however minor, thanks enough? Plus he'd said he would have done it whether she wanted him to or not! He wanted thanks for his own decision?
She stood, preparing for a good rant when he stood up also, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Yeesh, I was just kidding. Don't get all riled up."
He turned to head out of the living room, but stopped at the door and turned back to her. She was gathering the antiseptic ointment and bandages back into her first aid kit, muttering under her breath about men. He knew who she was, a strong, fiery and resourceful girl, but despite that, she looked so very small and fragile. He knew she could be hurt. Easily.
He never wanted to see her hurt. He never wanted to see her cry. "Higurashi."
Kagome looked up in surprise. She'd thought he had left the room in favor of something a bit more comfortable, like his bed. Seeing him still standing there, watching her, was perplexing. "Hm?"
"I'll always be there to protect you. I promise."
His face was resolute. There was no hesitation, no doubt, in his eyes. Only determination. And Kagome could see Inuyasha shining through. Her strong, capable hanyou in the form of the human boy who had dropped into her life and into the seat next to her in homeroom. She smiled.
"Thank you."
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Awh, how sweet~ Did you like? Please review and lemme know!!! Questions, comments, ideas~? ^-^ You guys know I love it! Peace~
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen