Chapter 12 – Friction: Part Two

Kagome quickly rose to her feet, paying no heed to the haori that fell from her shoulders as she made her way towards the wolf youkai. He stood in the entrance, soaked, with a wary expression in his eyes as she approached him. She feared he must hate her for what she'd done, but he made no move to lash out or leave. She stopped a couple feet away, gnawing on her bottom lip as she tried to think of a way to let him know he was still her friend. The dilemma was taken from her hands when he suddenly smirked.

"Hey Kagome. Dog-shit been taken care of you?"

Without thinking she flung herself at him and wrapped him in a fierce hug, unable to stop the tears, relieved that he'd forgiven her. Less a minute had passed before Kouga gently unwound her arms from his neck and stepped back with a perplexed smile on his face.

"Why, Kagome?"

Kagome looked away, wrapping her arms around her middle as she thought back to what she'd done to him nearly three weeks ago. She hadn't wanted to attack Kouga, but he'd been so stubborn and completely ignored what she was saying.

"You weren't listening…"

"I was listening, Kagome," Kouga smiled ruefully. "I just wasn't expecting it to be you who came after me."

Kagome blinked in surprise and regarded Kouga in a new light. He'd been deliberately goading her? No, not her… Inuyasha.

"But he…"

"Hasn't been good for a fight in months. I don't know what happened, but he changed when you left. Guess his claim was real after all."

"Claim?" She looked confused. First Sesshoumaru and now Kouga. What was it with male youkai and 'claims'?

Kouga chuckled and shook his head. "Dog-shit better treat you right or I'll beat his ass." He looked over her shoulder briefly. "Speaking of mutt-face, I think I've pissed him off enough. I'll be seeing you, Kagome."

Without another word, he took off into the rain once more, apparently not caring that he was getting wet again. Then again, being youkai meant no sickness… well, no human sicknesses anyway. At least she'd cleared things with Kouga about being 'his' woman.

She let out a sigh and braced herself for the impending wrath of a hanyou, but when she turned around she was met with emptiness. Not sure where he'd gone and really not up to finding out, she opted to wait where she was, figuring he'd come sulking back once Kouga's scent faded. Only after she gave the darkness of the cave another look did she noticed that her pack, along with his haori, were gone. And the firewood pile was small….

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She was huddled near the fire when Inuyasha finally returned. Staring at the rain, thinking he'd slipped past her earlier, she was unprepared for his approach from the rear of the cave and shrieked when he touched her shoulder. With her heart hammering erratically, she took a deep breath as she pinned him with a look that told him he'd scared her. He had the grace to flatten his ears and look away. She still wasn't in the mood to talk to him and let him know it by turning her back on him once more, figuring he'd just leave her be as he usually did when she gave him the cold shoulder.

She gave another shriek when she found herself tossed unceremoniously over his shoulder and held securely. Her pleas to be put down went unanswered and he simply grunted when she began pounding on his back. As they headed further into the cave, she was left to watch the light of the campfire slowly fade out of sight. She panicked briefly when complete darkness closed in and kicked him, earning herself a warning pressure squeeze of his claws on the back of her thigh.

It seemed forever before light returned and he stopped, dropping to one knee to set her on her feet. He gripped her shoulders with a scowl as she opened her mouth to yell at him and spun her about. All arguments died on her lips at the sight that greeted her eyes. Now she knew where her pack had gone and what he'd been doing while she talked with Kouga.

Deep in the cave rested a natural hot spring that looked to be barely hot enough to create wisps of steam. But that wasn't what stunned her into silence. Near what appeared to be the only way into the spring, were the candles she carried in case of emergencies; all twelve of them lit to give off enough light to see by. Along with her bathing towels and supplies laid out at the waters edge. He had done this? For her?

She wanted so badly to accept his kindness and let things go back to the way they were before. She could feel her heart breaking as she forced herself to turn and glare angrily at him. She had to push him away or she would break.

"You could have asked for the towels and soap."

He gaped at her in complete disbelief. He'd gone through all that, even restrained himself from attaching Kouga, and instead of a thank you she was yelling at him? His last thread of control snapped and with a harsh growl he picked her up and bodily tossed her into the spring, flattening his ears against the indignant scream she uttered as she went flying. The sound echoed for a brief moment as she went under. She emerged sputtering and looking fit to kill.

"Damnit Kagome! I'm trying! What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to leave me alone!" She screamed as she strode towards the shore.

He deliberately waded in to his knees, preventing her from leaving. He was sick and tired of whatever game she was playing. They were going to have it out, even if it killed him. Not literally of course; he knew she'd never strike a killing blow, but the sight of her soaked to the skin with her clothing sticking to her in such a delicious way… now that might kill him.

"I've left you alone for three weeks, wench!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "And I had to leave you alone for six months before that! This time you will listen." Not sure if her silence was a sign of her tolerance or agreement, he let out a sigh as he took the opportunity to try and get through to her. Hopefully he wouldn't screw things up, but he never was good at expressing himself vocally. Unless he was pissed, of course, and right now he was ticked enough to want to give her a good shake.

"You're nothing like Kikyou," he began.

Kagome blanched at his words, trying to tell herself that he wasn't saying it to be cruel, but she knew he was right. She was nothing like Kikyou; she was foolish, clumsy, defenseless and weak just to name a few. All of which he'd called her at least once while in comparison with her incarnation. She would never measure up and she'd given up months ago even trying to do so. The defense lessons had not been to emulate Kikyou, but rather to better protect herself and later to boost her confidence and resolve in her decision to grant one of Inuyasha's wishes.

Inuyasha could have kicked himself once the words were out of his mouth. He'd said it wrong again. It seemed like any time he tried to tell Kagome that he didn't see her as a copy, but as her own person, he screwed things up. Kagome was Kagome and no one else, even if she was Kikyou's reincarnation. There were similarities in looks, archery talents and even miko powers, but it was there the similarities ended. Kagome was sunlight and spring, laughter and happiness. Beneath the false scent of her soaps, she smelled of blooming flowers in a meadow just after a spring rain.

But she'd changed since her return. She was still Kagome, but now she was so much more and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing. She still laughed and smiled, but it never reached her eyes. It was as though she held herself back, afraid to let herself go as she once used to and he, quite frankly, missed that about her. He missed the gentle way she would smile at him when he was stubborn and arguing with her over the silliest of things. The way she would laugh at Miroku's plight when Sango smacked him and called him a pervert. He missed the sense of contented calm she had whenever she sat near him or held Shippou. Damnit, he flat out missed any attention she would have given him.

"I mean you can't be her…" he flinched. Wrong again.

"You're not her replacement…" Try another one, dumb ass.

"Just because you share a soul…" Not a good reminder…

"No, Inuyasha. I don't want to hear you compare us."

Inuyasha sputtered. "What! You think I'm comparing you to her? I can't… that is…" He uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "There is no comparison, Kagome." I may as well permanently stick my foot in my mouth… I'm fucking up royally now.

"Don't, Inuyasha." Kagome looked pale and stricken, holding up a hand in a physical action to stop his words. "Just…don't."

"Kagome…"

"No!" She shook her head and took a step back. "You've said enough."

He started forward, halting two steps later as the scent of her fear assaulted his nose. She didn't retreat, but the fear didn't lessen when he stopped either. He frowned and took another step; her fear spiked. What the hell? She'd never been afraid of him before, not like this anyway. But it seemed that she was afraid of him getting close to her, which was odd since he'd been at least this close in the past week. With a thoughtful frown, he retreated to the water's edge, relieved to see her relax once he was out of the water.

"You know…I can't protect you if you keep running away."

Kagome jerked as if she'd been shot and took a step back, eyes wide. "Kikyou can see…"

"This isn't about the shards, Kagome." His voice was calm, even. He simply stood at the edge and watched her, neither advancing or retreating. "What have I done to make you fear me? Did I hurt you somehow?" He cast down his eyes, but not before he could hide the flash of pain in them. "Did I fail to protect you?"

When she didn't answer, he dared a glance at her and froze. She turned her back on him… She was doing more than ignoring him. She was dismissing him; showing that she was through listening and his words didn't matter. He could feel another piece of his heart shatter as he silently implored her to turn around, but the longer he stared, the more it felt like he was being given the cold shoulder. Resigned, he turned away and headed back towards the cave opening. As much as it pained him, he would honor her request and leave her alone, but he knew it wouldn't last. He would eventually succumb to that small voice in his mind. The one that told him to hold her and never let go.

He stood at the cave mouth and sniffed the air, picking up the lingering trace of Kouga amidst the rain. He hadn't attacked the wolf because he'd seen the self-loathing in Kagome after what she'd done to the wolf. He knew she would want to make amends for it and as much as it galled him to do so, he'd stayed put. Until it had been Kouga who broke the hug, which to him meant that Kagome had not been ready to release the mangy wolf. And so he'd taken her pack, deciding to do something special for her. Something to tell her he was sorry. Perhaps he'd read her wrong. Perhaps the others had been mistaken about Kagome's affections. Another piece of his heart broke as he realized what he had to do next, because it wasn't fair to deny her anything.

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She waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before she broke down. She fell to her knees in the shallow water as she gave in to her grief and cried for the pain she was causing. It broke her heart to hear him question his own abilities, to question her trust in him. She had wanted so badly to tell him why she was so afraid. To tell him she was afraid of what she'd done and would have to do or worse, afraid that he'd hate her for it, even if with her behavior she knew she was irrevocably pushing him away from her just the same.

Rising, she turned and felt the tears begin anew as she took in the sight of the candles once more. He was trying so hard to be kind to her and all she was doing to repay the gesture was hurt him. But for every kindness bestowed, there were also the harsh words demeaning her. Remembering those words gave her the strength to keep him at bay and continue with her own personal quest. Yet it had been less than a month and he was already wearing down her defenses.

She needed to find Kikyou quickly and resolve this dilemma. As if the mere thought of her incarnation were the trigger, pain erupted in her chest, sending her to hands and knees with a scream. She pressed her right hand against the hole just above her heart; her scream dying into a painful whimper. She'd barely managed to rise back to her feet, intending on getting out of the water, when Inuyasha came barreling into sight, her name a harsh cry on his lips.

"Kagome!"

"Inu… yasha…" she gasped out softly. Just once. I'll give in just this once…

Inuyasha didn't give her a chance to protest as he caught her up in his arms and headed back to the fire, briefly stopping to snag her pack. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't going to let her ignore him about this. He knew what she held her right hand over, but he prayed he was wrong about how it came to be there and what it was possibly doing to her. But given what he was smelling, it wasn't likely.

Damn…why do you smell of Naraku's miasma?

A/N:

Well I'm releasing this tonight since I'm in such a good mood that Midi's email seems to have cooperated for once.

Chapter 13 is going to be out in a week or two. I'm in the process of tweaking it before shipping it off to Midi.

Mucho gracias to all my regular reviewers and the couple of new ones!

Sorry for not naming you all, but it's 11pm and I need to get up early with my baby.

You'll get your "5 minutes of fame" next chapter LOL

Myste