Disclaimer: I'd die and go to heaven if I owned Inuyasha. (Hey, I noticed I haven't been putting this in... Bumi is MY character! Use her without permission and die! -giggle- Have a nice day!)

No Way Out
Chapter 12 - An Undead Miko; A Living Spirit

I looked up at Inuyasha, confused. He was still holding my hand. "Inuyasha, I'm confused. Didn't you just say that Kikyou is dead?"

"She is dead. But she still walks."

Talk about cryptic. I raised my eyebrow. "Can we, like... ignore her?"

"I think it would be best to." Inuyasha tightened his grip on my hand and led me away from the forest. As we left the forest, I could smell a distinct scent: One that kind of reminded me of Kagome's. But it was covered with the scent of grave dirt.

I decided to change the subject. "Do you think Lady Kaede has a new kimono for me?"

Inuyasha looked back at me curiously. "I thought you said you wanted me to help you find a new kimono?"

"Oh, did I?" I touched a finger to my free hand up to my lips. "I don't believe so... I wouldn't ask someone like you to help me," I said playfully.

"What do you mean, 'someone like me?'" Inuyasha growled. I laughed softly, still trying to pull my hand away from his, but he wasn't letting go. If anything, his grip tightened.

"Inuyasha, I only meant that you're not exactly the kind of person who seems like they'd want to help a girl pick out a nice kimono."

He just sent a glare my way before letting go of my hand as we entered Lady Kaede's hut. Miroku and Shippou were already asleep, but Sango was helping Lady Kaede with something.

"What do you have there, Lady Kaede?"

She held up what looked like a kimono. "For ye, Bumi. A new kimono."

I took it from her and held it in front of myself. The top was a beautiful shade of red, as was the skirt, but the obi was a light silver, and it almost looked crystalline. The kimono could've passed as Inuyasha's if he was younger, except for the obi and the skirt.

The sleeves of the top flared out enough to look pretty, but the wouldn't get in the way if I were battling.

"Well, aren't you going to put it on?" A stubborn voice snapped me out of my mini-trance.

I shook my head and looked at him. "Not with you and the lecherous monk in the room."

"Kami, Bumi! You worry too much. I won't peek at you, and Miroku's asleep."

"Besides, Bumi, I will need to adjust the length if it doesn't fit correctly," Lady Kaede said.

I sighed, and Inuyasha turned around, blocking Miroku just incase he woke up. I stripped off the haori and hakamas, then quickly pulled the kimono on. The obi came undone, but we ignored it for the moment.

Lady Kaede had me turn around, then nodded. "It appears that the kimono does not need to be fitted."

"Arigato, Lady Kaede!" I smiled, and tied the obi. "May I go outside?"

"Of course ye can."

I smiled and bowed slightly. "Arigato." I walked outside, tying the obi again. It wouldn't stayed tied.

I sat down on a rock, and looked up to see Inuyasha standing over me. "Do you want me to tie that for you?"

"Wha...?"

"The obi. Do you want to tie it for you?"

I bit my lip and turned around, and Inuyasha started tying it. "I didn't know you knew how to tie obis, Inuyasha."

I heard him growl softly. "My mother taught me how to when I was young."

"Oh. Gomen, Inuyasha, I didn't mean-"

He tucked the bow in under, then turned me around so I was looking at him. "It's done."

"I quite figured that out. Arigato for pointing out the obvious, Inuyasha," I retorted.

He just smiled, which made me smile in return. And in the next moment, my lips were on his cheek. I felt his cheek warm up, and pulled away. My cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"Gomen! Gomenasai!" My cheeks were no doubt a deep shade of red, rivaling that of my kimono.

I didn't dare look up from my bow. I didn't want to see Inuyasha's face, because I was afraid of what I might see. Anger, disgust, or something of the sort.

Inuyasha pulled me up, and tilted my head so I could look into his beautiful amber eyes. "It's okay, Bumi," he said softly.

Once again, I felt my cheeks warm up. "A-arigato. I-I don't know why I-" Inuyasha stopped me by putting two fingers across my lips. This SO could not be the same Inuyasha I'd been fighting with earlier that day.

"I said it's okay. And why do you seem embarrassed?"

"I just am, okay!" I spat through his fingers. He pulled them away, and just looked at me. I felt myself blushing again. "Like I said, I don't know why I did. Gomen."

I stood up and hopped off the rock, ready to leave, but Inuyasha grabbed my hand. "Let go, Inuyasha."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I said so." I heard him sigh, and he let go of my hand.

I closed my eyes, and I felt someone scoop me up into their arms. I let out a scream of shock as I opened my eyes. "Kouga! What are you doing here?"

I looked at Inuyasha, and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah. Why are you here, Kouga?"

Kouga grinned. "I thought Bumi might need some help getting away from you, mutt-face."

He looked down at me, then at Inuyasha. "Your kimonos are similar. Why?"

I spoke before Inuyasha could. "Lady Kaede gave me this to wear, instead of the miko's kimono. Doesn't this one look better?"

Both Kouga and Inuyasha nodded. I felt myself blushing. "See? It has nothing to do with Inuyasha. ...Uh, Kouga? Could you put me down now?"

Review Shout-out!

Ear-Tweak: Hai, it was Kikyou. But, since I'm not exactly the biggest fan of trying to write her character (I tried it for this chapter, but it didn't work. Needless to say, her part was cut, but I kept the title.), I decided to not use her. Lucky for you, no?