"Ughn...what? What happened?"
His head sent throbs of agonizing pain consistently through his skull as the hanyou sat up at long last, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he did so. The last thing he remembered was being in Kouga's arms, with said wolf demon rubbing his ears, before everything went blank...had he actually fallen asleep like that in the other's arms? That meant...the wolf could have potentially- no. He wouldn't, even if he had the chance. The wolf prince knew better than that, didn't he? He wouldn't take a person in mad passion while they're down, that was a sort of admirable point...
Inuyasha felt his eyes widen at the thought. Admirable? As in, something about Kouga he liked? No...there was no way! With shallow breaths did the dog demon slap himself in an attempt to get the thought out of his head, his cheek stinging and tingling with the pain while he calmed down. He was making too much of a big deal out of this...after all, it was normal to like some characteristics of a rival, right? That was what separated a rival from an enemy anyway...but what left did Kouga and Inuyasha have to be rivals about? Kagome was gone, but they could still fight over who was stronger.
While Inuyasha contemplated this, the very demon on his mind re-entered the hut, kneeling in front of Inuyasha with a concerned look in his crystalline eyes, "You feelin' any better, mutt face? You still look a bit ill," Soft lips with the same hue as the other's tanned skin parted to speak softly, something that caused Inuyasha's face to heat up painfully and rather quickly.
"I'm fine, now leave me alone," Grumbling in response to the wolf in front of him, turning away so he wouldn't have to feel guilty from looking into those so very blue eyes. Why the hell did the wolf care again? Oh right, that speech yesterday. He almost forgot about that. The speech that was now making a lump rise in his throat and his stomach turn...did Kouga really hurt that much, to love someone who didn't love them in return? "I...I don't-"
"Don't need me around?" Kouga interrupted, a growl leaving Inuyasha seeing as the smirk was almost dripping off of the wolf's tone, "Don't lie, mutt face. We wouldn't have beaten your brother if it wasn't for me helping you use that damned sword, remember? You're too weak to be on your own."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Snapped Inuyasha, turning abruptly towards the other while narrowing his eyes. What really bit him was that it was true; he wouldn't have won against Sesshoumaru if Kouga wasn't there to help. Still, he wouldn't let Kouga have the satisfaction of being right, he just wouldn't, "I could have beaten him by myself, and I have before!"
"You got lucky. Your sword transformed when I came, didn't it?" Kouga asked, which made Inuyasha stop in his tracks, all anger fading for the cause of serious thought. That's right, the Tetsusaiga only transformed once Kouga was there...once Kouga was about to die. The reason why the Tetsusaiga had transformed then but hadn't since was a mystery before, but suddenly it was becoming clear, made even clearer with the wolf's next words, "You were trying to stop him from killing me, Inuyasha. You were protecting me."
"Wh-what?" Inuyasha still couldn't comprehend it, even though the answer was right there in front of him. The sword only transforms when the wielder sought to protect something, and since he saw Sesshoumaru about to slaughter Kouga...the Tetsusaiga transformed for the need to protect the wolf demon. But, why? Why would he want to protect Kouga, unless...no, it wasn't possible! "...I only wanted to protect you because I needed you around. It's impossible to beat Naraku when it's one on one, after all," He growled out the excuse while hardly believing it himself, turning his head away from the wolf, although something caught his eye; the utterly heart-broken look now in Kouga's eyes.
"I see...fine, I'll leave you alone then, Inuyasha," A pang of guilt filled the hanyou's gut as he heard the weak and hurt voice of Kouga, followed by the sound of him getting to his feet and moving towards the door of the hut. However, he stopped at the doorframe, shooting a glance back at Inuyasha, "I guess I was only deluding myself, thinking that you'd ever love me after you had already found true love in Kagome. Even in death she consumes you, but I guess that can't be helped. I'm sorry for troubling you."
Damn...he really feels that way about me then? The hanyou let the thought slip into his mind as the wolf left the hut, leaving Inuyasha to stare blankly at the now-empty doorframe. He flattened his ears against his hair as he crawled back into the bed, thinking about the words spoken between the two. He had really hurt the other's feelings, he could tell, and now he felt like shit for doing that. It was...strange, to feel such guilt, it outweighed all those times he made Kagome feel badly to the point where she went home. But, why though? He couldn't put his finger on it, why it felt worse to see that heart-broken look in Kouga's eyes than to see tears in Kagome's...
Standing up after a couple of attempts (both of which ended up with him falling painfully onto his rump), Inuyasha walked steadily out the door, his eyes catching the tall form of the wolf demon going into the forest of Musashi. A twinge struck him, telling him to run after Kouga, and Inuyasha wasn't one to disobey his instincts. "Hey, wait!" He called out towards the retreating demon, causing Kouga to turn back towards him, "I wanna say somethin' to you, don't you dare run away!"
"I'm not runnin', you goddamn mutt face!" Kouga growled out at Inuyasha, but before anymore could be said, the hanyou had tripped. For a second or two he felt weightless while going through the air, right before landing shakily on his feet, so shakily that he fell forward into the wolf demon's arms, their lips mistakenly crushing together. There was a time that felt like eternity where their lips connected, a warm surge that made Inuyasha feel a little happy going throughout his body while he was being held, this was almost like a kiss. Almost.
Coming to his senses and feeling incomprehensible shock, Inuyasha jumped away from Kouga, falling once again onto his behind while staring with wide eyes. He had not meant for that to happen, not at all! "I...that...that was a mistake...damn it, stop laughing!" He finally snapped, for Kouga had started to laugh with a furious blush across his cheeks. Honestly, Inuyasha didn't see what was so funny, they had just kissed, damn it! The strange thing to the hanyou was, it felt so right, so good...
"You're just too much, mutt face!" Kouga continued to laugh while just barely getting those words out, which caused Inuyasha to feel increasing agitation and annoyance with the wolf, "Why do you have to make things to painfully obvious, then deny them? Honestly you're the strangest demon I've ever met!"
Inuyasha growled at that, but really there was no response that came to mind, no retort he could use against Kouga. Like it or not, he had kissed the wolf, and even if it was accidental, it was also irreversible. He stood up and bore his teeth against the wolf while growling again, his face feeling so hot that it was burning him. This wasn't fair, why did he have to make such a mistake that Kouga could hold against him? But, before he could think any further, an all too familiar and annoying voice carried over the winds.
"Inuyasha, I'm jealous. How come you kissed Kouga and not me?"
"Damn it!" Exclaimed Inuyasha, glaring at Jakotsu as he walked out of the Musashi forest with a smirk on his face, "It has nothing to do with you! What do you want anyway, Jakotsu of the Band of Seven?"
"What else? I want you, Inuyasha," A bemused smile lined the corpse's painted face, which enhanced Inuyasha's disgust, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have come. Kouga is yummy and all, but you're more to my tastes, especially with those cute doggie ears..." The hanyou nearly gagged from the swooning the dead man was currently absorbing himself in.
"You know what? I don't care what you came for, you're still goin' back to the grave where you belong!" Inuyasha hissed, drawing the now-usable Tetsusaiga. But, why could he use it now? Maybe...just maybe it was because of Kouga. But, the hanyou could take comfort in the fact that the wolf was really only a partner, correct? Nothing more than that, or so he tried to keep telling himself. But, the more he told himself, the less he believed, "Get ready to die again, Jakotsu! Wind Scar!"
With a mighty swing of his fang did Inuyasha set the attack against his foe, but all in vain for said foe merely dodged the blow. Damn it, I can't hit him! He's too fast, the thought came as his eyes darted, keeping up with Jakotsu. He hadn't used his snake sword yet, it seemed almost suspicious, as if he didn't want to kill Inuyasha. But then, if he didn't want the dog demon dead, then what the hell was he after?
"Let me handle this guy, mutt face! You're too slow to take him on," Kouga shouted out before racing around in a game of cat and mouse against Jakotsu, in which the mouse was winning and began to make Inuyasha agitated again. So, he thought the half-breed was utterly useless, huh? He'd show that damned wolf who the useless one really was!
"Out of the way, Kouga! I'm gonna fight Jakotsu!" With that, Inuyasha jumped right into the battle, swinging his sword towards the offending dead man. However...what he had not intended was for the blade to miss its target.
With widened eyes did Inuyasha step back, pulling the sword out of the wolf's body with him. He almost couldn't bear to look at the shocked, sky-blue eyes that stared at him as Kouga fell back, gripping the wound in his gut while breathing heavily. What had Inuyasha done? "I...I told you to get out of the way...why didn't you listen..."
"You should have stayed out of the way, mutt face," Kouga spat out, turning his face away from Inuyasha as he stared at the ground, eyes half-lidded, "Have to do everything yourself, why not just let someone else protect you for once? Then this wouldn't have happened, idiot," Before he could go on, Kouga had coughed. And what came out of his mouth was a crimson substance that made Inuyasha suddenly feel horridly sick and guilty.
"D-don't move...I'll finish off Jakotsu, then I'll get you some help from Kaede, all right?" Inuyasha attempted to reassure the wolf before him, although really he was nearly panicking himself. He had just hurt, probably nearly killed, the wolf demon who was on the ground before him, who had said he was protecting him...no, Inuyasha couldn't stop fighting now, he'd worry about the innocent blood on his blade later, right now he had to keep Jakotsu busy long enough for Kouga to escape.
"Leave now Jakotsu, before I give you an even more painful and miserable death than the one you had before," He growled angrily at the corpse before him, glaring with intense loathing as he hoisted the Tetsusaiga onto his shoulders. He wanted to finish the job they had started, if that queer hadn't shown up, Kouga wouldn't have gotten hurt at all, wouldn't have had a reason to protect him...
"Come and get me, if you dare, Inuyasha," Jakotsu's cold laughter rang in the air as he licked his lips, darkest ebony pools looking down onto him in cruel amusement, "Unless you wish to surrender yourself to me. Then, I'd do anything for you."
"In your dreams, you goddamn queer!" Hissed Inuyasha, launching his assault upon the man before him, only to have every strike blocked or evaded. He was just no match for Jakotsu, but Jakotsu couldn't hit him either. That is, until a piercing pain went through his gut as the snake sword activated, his whole right side being sliced and made almost useless. With a cry of pain did Inuyasha fall onto the ground, somehow controlling his breaths as he tried to stop his own blood flow. Damn...if Jakotsu was going to use that snake sword again, then Kouga would be in trouble because of his injury as well...what could he do?