Between The Lines
By: Maggz
Disclaimer: InuYasha and Co. © Rumiko Takahashi. I own nothing; I'm just a poor woman with an overactive imagination...
Author Note: Hey guys, here's another chapter of Between The Lines. I had finished this one a while ago, but unfortunately didn't have the time to post it. (sigh) You know, life's calling and I've been incredibly busy this past week (sorry for those who are waiting for the last update of Innocent Beginnings, I'll try my best to post as soon as I can).
Some readers have been asking about Between The Lines, to be more specific: the pairing. Who will Kagome choose? Kouga or InuYasha? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I can't tell you just yet. I mean, I've only just begun to develop the plot, I can't say how's it gonna end! o.O What's the point in reading a story if you already know how it's going to end? And I want you to read it, and find out by yourselves... and of course leave reviews (LOL) Now the rest is up to you. After what I said you decide if you want to read it or not.
'Til the next update,
Maggz.
Chapter 7
Kouga sat across the table from Kagome, his eyes on his plate. The noise in the small restaurant they had chosen to eat dinner at covered their silence with each other. Kagome glanced up, watching as Kouga pushed food around on his plate - a grilled steak and a huge baked potato. She put her fork down next to her own barely touched plate and cleared her throat. Kouga's eyes lifted toward her and she willed herself to maintain eye contact.
"What's wrong, Kouga? Steak overdone?", she asked, a smile tipping the corners of her lips.
His heart knocked in his chest as he watched her smile at him. It was almost as if she KNEW he'd dreamt of her earlier. And the weird thing WAS that it had been so fucking REAL! One minute she was in his arms, kissing over his belly, the next... he was reaching into thin air... and opening his eyes, found her gone. He'd groaned, placing a hand between his legs and turned onto his stomach just in case she happened to come into the living room and catch his erection on display.
Pushing his face into the thick cushion of the sofa, he'd kept his hands in place and willed himself not to move. He'd been THAT close... THAT close to erupting and he knew if he so much as made a move, he'd end up embarrassing himself. He'd started to laugh then because it suddenly came to him that it had been YEARS since he'd done this, years since he'd had to hold himself back from climax. He normally was able and ready to be near the opposite sex when the need arose but the opposite sex in THIS case had no interest in him at all.
NONE. ZERO. NADA. ZIP.
It wasn't that he thought himself THAT irresistible, just that he'd thought there was something, some spark between he and Kagome. He didn't think he could've imagined it... or had he? Was it just that she didn't have any interest in him at all other than as a friend that it drove him mad? Was it the fact that she was just too damned HOT for her own good? Was it that she and InuYasha had something between them that maybe THEY couldn't even see and he was jealous, wanted to test it? All of that and more ran through his mind as he'd lain on the sofa, face down, willing his erection to cease and desist.
The telephone had rung then and he'd lifted his head from the sofa waiting. Was she still here at all? After the second ring it stopped and he'd heard the soft murmur of her voice still behind her closed door. He'd eased up off the sofa onto his knees and then sat up... waiting.
It made him wonder just who she talked to, who she dated. He'd supposed the longer he was around, the more he'd learn about her. He'd wondered just how in the hell InuYasha stayed around her without driving himself to distraction. Best friend or not, she was a looker and THAT combined with her spirit, her fire!
He'd groaned, putting his head in his hands and squeezing his temples.
"Leave it, Kouga. There are plenty of girls around here. Why insist on the one that can't stand for you to even look at her... much less TOUCH her?", he'd mumbled and got up off the sofa, stretching his back and arms as he did.
He went into his room and thinking better of it walked back out, standing at her door. Raising his hand, he'd knocked.
"Yeah?", she'd answered.
"Kagome? Open up?", he'd asked, rubbing his hand across his eyes. This was crazy. Why couldn't he just open the damned door and GO in? It wasn't like he and InuYasha had ever knocked on doors.
But InuYasha wasn't a girl, a little voice reminded him and he swore under his breath at that little voice.
Kagome had looked at the door, her heart hammering away in her chest. What would he want? HAD he seen her watching him... had he somehow known?
"Kagome?", he'd said once more, his patience wearing thin and started lightly beating his head against the door. She'd opened it up just then and he'd stumbled into the room making her laugh.
"Sorry, Kouga. I didn't know you were leaning.", she'd said.
"I wasn't. I was beating my head against the door in frustration. Kagome! What IS it with you?", he'd asked, a frown creasing his features.
"What?", she'd asked, wrinkling her nose. Her eyes had been pasted on his, almost as if she were absorbing him and he didn't like it... not one bit.
"Don't "what?" me! What IS it with you? You hole yourself up in here, you SAID you wanted to get to know me better in order to work with me but I've YET to see you TRY!", he'd argued. He'd had NO idea why he was losing it with her. He could see her temper rising even as he spoke and he still couldn't stop.
"When are you gonna quit running from me?", he'd asked, hands on his hips as his blue eyes had drilled into her.
"When are you gonna quit CHASING me, Kouga?", she'd shot back.
"CHASING you? I haven't chased you! I've tried to get to know you. I've tried over and over again to speak with you and all I get is "none of your business, Kouga". I tried to get you to play pool with me last night and you turned me down flat. Then you show up and I though that MAYBE, just maybe, you'd changed your mind and were coming to spend some time with me but NO! When I try to speak to you, you shove me away. Just what the hell is wrong with me?", he'd asked, letting his lower lip poke out into a most adorable pout. His chest moved up and down with the force of his breathing and she'd stood her ground and watched him, just watched him.
"Well?", he'd frowned deeper, lip poking out just a bit more. He was just delectable when he did that! She wondered suddenly if he did it on purpose and narrowed her eyes at him.
"What?", he'd asked. She'd decided to let the thought go for the time being. Work was what she wanted to do. Sketch, study, draw, observe!
"Kouga, I want to sketch you. I mean, tonight. I'd love to sketch you live. I've been working on some things. You know, the photos... and today at the basketball court as well. But I think I'm ready- no, I KNOW I'm ready to begin the live sketches if it's ok with you.", she'd said.
He'd stood there. Flabbergasted. Blown away. He'd just poured his guts out to her and she'd ignored him. What the hell WAS it with her? He remembered InuYasha telling him the night before in the club to forget everything he'd ever known and learned about girls and to get ready to re-learn it. How damned right he'd been!
"What do you say?", she'd asked.
"Jeez.", he'd said, running a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath.
"Kouga?", she'd ventured and he'd looked back at her.
"Fine. But we're going out to dinner first. My treat. Then we'll work.", he'd said.
"Deal.", she'd grinned and stuck out her hand.
"You drive a hard bargain, lady!", he'd said but he couldn't resist smiling at her. She was grinning from ear to ear with excitement, literally glowing.
"Feed me and I'll be a good girl, I swear!", she'd laughed.
"Fair enough. I'm going to get dressed. Is that oyster bar still downtown?", he'd asked as he walked into his room across the hall and she'd shook her head. He would never give up, somehow she just knew it.
"No. It closed down about two months ago.", she'd said. "But there's a fantastic steak place not very far away. You like a good steak?", she'd asked as she pulled a pair of jeans out of her closet along with a pink shortsleeved sweater.
"Steak's good.", Kouga had answered. He loved steak. A GOOD steak. It had been awhile since he'd tasted a really good steak. He slid out of his shorts and dug for a pair of clean pants. Light tan with cargo pockets down the sides of the legs and snug on his bottom. He picked up a chocolate brown button down shirt and lay it across the bed as he searched his bag for the white tank shirt he always wore paired with it. Digging down, he found it near the bottom of the bag and made a promise to himself to arrange his clothes the very next day, maybe even go do some shopping.
He pulled the tank shirt over his head, then grabbed the button down shirt and slipped into it. Sitting on the bed, he pulled on socks and reached for his boots sliding his feet in and tying the laces. He looked at his hair in the mirror on the dresser and ran his hands quickly through it. It looked passable.
"Kagome, you ready?", he'd called as he came out of his room and saw her standing at her door, a strange look on her face.
"You look pretty in pink.", he'd said before he thought about it and she'd blushed then hit him in the arm.
"What did I tell you? Quit chasing me.", she'd said and frowned at him, then smiled.
"That's not chasing. That's saying something nice. Aren't I even allowed to do THAT?", he'd asked.
"Kouga, you're so easy to read. Player. See?", she'd said firmly as she poked a finger into his chest then moved ahead of him down the hall toward the door.
He'd watched the easy sway of her hips as she'd moved from him and his stomach fluttered again.
"Damn it.", he'd muttered and followed her.
Now here they sat, looking at each other, drinks in hand. She'd asked him something and damned if could remember just what it was. She was just so pretty sitting there in the glow of the candlelight.
"Kouga?", she laughed and reached over the table, snapping her fingers in his face to rouse him. She really wished he wouldn't look at her the way he was looking. Dreamy eyed and far away, it made her stomach hurt. Why couldn't he leave it alone!? Why did he have to press forward with her?
Why did she always have to step back?
The thought startled her and she tipped her wine glass, pouring it down the front of her sweater.
"Oh, CRAP!", she muttered as she grabbed for her napkin and started to soak up what she could of the offending stain. Kouga had jumped up at once, napkin in hand and was soon pulling her hands away from her own mess and pressing his napkin against her chest.
"It's not that bad, really... just a bit... maybe if we get home quickly, you can fix it.", he was saying softly as the fingers of one hand gently stretched the fabric of the sweater whilst the fingers of the other hand gripped his napkin and stroked firmly over her chest.
She was too flustered to even move. He was touching her so intimately, yet NOT so intimately. Her first impulse had been to push him firmly away and back into his chair. Just who did he think he WAS and what was he DOING?
But then she'd just sat there, unable to move, her eyes drinking him in as he fussed with the stain. She'd known at once he wasn't taking advantage of the situation, he was genuinely trying to help. She doubted he even yet realized just where his hands were. She took a deep, cleansing breath...
"Kouga?", she said softly and he quit mumbling and looked at her. "It's ok. I think between the two of us, we got it.", she said.
His fingers were still pressed against her chest and she fought to stop the flood of feelings that were rising inside her. Just looking into those blue eyes made her reflect upon what had happened earlier as she'd watched him dream... dream of HER.
"I... well... oh... OK.", he said and patted her chest gently, caught himself, had the decency and the cuteness to blush and sat back down in his chair.
"I think I am ready to go back home, Kouga. Let's stop and get a six pack- hell, make it a twelve pack. We can drink as we work. Sound ok to you?", she asked, trying to steady the tremble in her voice.
He smiled, nodded and stood. "Sounds great.", he said.