Disclaimer: I actually don't disclaim. Haha! Whatcha gonna do? Report me to the mods? Sue my broke ass? Harharhar! I dare you! ten minutes later Huh? Who's that?

From behind the door: Open up! You're under arrest!

o0

Er...on second thought, Inuyasha and Kagome are all yours, Takahashi. Hehe. ;D Please don't hurt me.

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! ;D I'm sorry this chapter is a bit dry, but I wrote it in haste because I've got a whole week of preliminaries to look forward to. Bear with me and I promise I'll come up with something better next time. ;D

BlackRosethebloodangel: Yeah, hehe. In his head he was thinking, "Why should I care what Sesshomaru thinks?" ;D Anyway, hope you like this chapter.

KIgirls: Thanks, I'm glad you like it so much! ;D Yeah, actually, I've given your idea some thought and...well, you'll have to keep on reading. :D Enjoy! ;D

Kawaii-CherryWolf: I'm mortally afraid you won't want me to continue after this chapter, but I'm hoping you'll read it and let me know what you think anyway. :D

demonpriestess07: Thanks, hehe! ;D I wrote it because my brother did that to me once—like his friends were all ragging on him for being such a prima donna and then when the two of us were alone he bossed me around like nothing happened. ;D sigh Here I go with getting-to-know-yous again. Sorry. :D Anyway, please tell me what you think about this chapter. ;D

iNuYaShAsweet: Thanks! ;D Well, they're together in this chapter but it's hardly how they should be ideally. :D Anyway, tell me what you think. ;D

gillianraine: Thank you! ;D Enjoy this next chapter, and if you don't let me know. ;D

Chapter 3

What's Ailing You Now?

Sunlight filtered into the hallway, bathing it with sharp, energizing light. It washed over the pristine white walls, hitting the countless announcements posted on the many bulletin boards, flashing blindingly on the glass panes of the doors. Next to one door, on one of the broad sofas meant for waiting students or visitors, a young woman was seated with her head bent over an open slide folder. Complete silence hung in the air and nothing but the potted plant next to her stirred, almost crackling with anticipation as it took in the good light.

"Kagome."

When she didn't look up he sighed and put his hands on his hips.

"Come on," he said with an exaggerated air of patience, shooting the back of her head a long-suffering look. "Not talking to me isn't going to help us get full marks, you know. We've still got to explain this damned thing."

Gritting his teeth to keep from crumpling the thick report in his right hand, he slid his left into her thick hair and hunkered down close, tugging her face up with more force than was necessary. Her head snapped up sharply and he stared at her as her brows knitted together over eyes that were completely shut.

She's asleep.

He'd pictured moments like these in the past. They weren't always sweet or romantic—particularly when she was fighting with him or doing something he didn't like—but there was always a key theme. She was alone with him, she was asleep, and she was at his mercy. What he did to her when she was vulnerable changed a lot according to what he was feeling for her at the time, which was convenient. Reality, sadly, was not.

He sighed, wondering how worthwhile it would be if he picked out a fantasy and decided to actualize it now. God knew he'd had a few where they were in a deserted hallway. The demon in him was baring its teeth in anticipation, but the human part that was brooding tamped it down.

In the six years since they'd first met, they'd formed a strange relationship that he couldn't quite label despite his many attempts. He'd hated, he'd laughed at, he'd sneered at, and he'd insulted her. Instead of backing down or bending, she'd given everything back to him with equal heat. But he'd liked her for it. It hadn't been extraordinary, as there were a few girls he'd come across in his life that he'd liked with equal measure for sticking up to him...but nonetheless, she was one of those he found different.

And when the aches and longing had come, he hadn't really been surprised. After all, they had begun after he'd broken up with Kikyo—the one girl he'd ever taken seriously in his life. She'd moved away after graduation to gain some "focus" after—he shook his head to clear away the memories and took a deep breath as the familiar ache settled in his chest. What was important was that she had cut off all ties. He'd been in the dumps until he got into college and he'd heard Kagome was going to the same university.

He told himself he'd felt that jolt of lust because Kagome looked a lot like Kikyo and he was on the rebound. But three years had come and gone since then and the feeling wasn't going away. He'd tried washing it out of his system with a flood of other girls, gotten a hell of a schedule to avoid her for an entire semester, and had even considered switching schools to get away from her. When that hadn't worked he'd considered acting on his desires, particularly whenever she made him so mad all he wanted to do was break her, but thank God she'd always spoiled his mood by being so nice that the human side of him overcame the urge to pounce.

He was resigned to it, like some sickness that he couldn't rid himself of completely but that he could deal with, as long as he stayed in control.

Her mouth opened as she muttered something indistinguishable and he felt her warm breath fan over his face. His left hand tightened as he fought down the storm of need that was brewing in his gut, the fire that was consuming every nerve in his body. He wanted nothing more than to drive his tongue (for now at least...) into that hot, wet mouth, hear her sweet moan—

Smack!

He staggered backwards, clutching the left side of his face as his lust-fogged brain registered that

She's awake.

"Good morning, Kagome," he ground out, glaring at her through a haze of red.

"Yeah, whatever, you jerk," Kagome hissed, shaking her stinging palm as her other hand went up to rub her sore scalp. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"A lot of things, apparently," he answered grimly, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "Like how I'm such a jerk."

"Well, you are," Kagome said hotly, forgetting the fact that she had planned to be cool towards him and not give him the benefit of her anger. Her cheeks were still hot from the second she'd woken up and wanted to snuggle against the warm body that was mere inches from hers. Snuggle! Like he was some sweet, boy-next-door type she'd known her whole life! And then she'd registered who that body belonged to and reality had pierced through her dreamy, sleepy senses. "What's up with you pulling my hair, for one?"

"I thought you were awake and you were ignoring me. We have important things to talk about, you know. Does 'our report' ring a bell?"

Kagome's face turned dangerously sweet and Inuyasha's eyes narrowed on the gleam in her eyes.

"That depends," she said with mock thoughtfulness. "Do the words, 'I promise I'll have it done by tonight' sound familiar? Words like, 'Oh, the quantitative data that my staff has will be perfect for it'? Because 'our report' is in the same boat."

"Ringing up my promises already, are you? Well, you'll be happy to know that I kept my word."

"Sure you did! And I had to write a whole thematic report because I felt like doing it!"

One brow popped. "You wrote the report without quantitative data?"

She glared at him and then let out a frustrated hiss when she saw the report on the floor, where it had fallen when she'd sent Inuyasha stumbling back. She bent to pick it up, using the gesture as a chance to gather her self-control.

"I had to because I was dumb enough to rely on someone," she said scathingly, dusting off the report and giving him the haughtiest look she could manage. "Don't worry, you don't have to share my grade. I'm submitting it under my name only."

"Well you can share my grade," he said with a smirk, lifting the report he'd brought. "It's got all the concepts we discussed and the quantitative data needed to back it up. I already put your name in with mine."

Her jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed to slits. "You wrote the report?"

"Well, you wouldn't stop calling me, so I figured I would give someone so devoted a break."

"You arrogant asshole, I was calling for the data! Give me that! Urgh—you probably screwed it all up! Remember that we agreed I would write the report because I'm better at it than you?" Her expression changed somehow as she browsed the introduction and succeeding chapters. Pausing at a particularly eloquent line, she shot him an assessing look. "Though this is good, it's weird. I'm convinced I'm better than you at writing reports."

"Yes, but you don't have an army of professional, trained secretaries, do you? They write stuff like that all the time."

She threw the report at him.

"You let your secretaries write the report! What kind of student are you! I can't believe I got you as my partner! We're not submitting this!"

He cringed at her piercing exclamations, his ears flattening against his head even as he glared back at her.

"Fine! So much for gratitude! You can submit that pitiful report and I'll just laugh when I graduate at the top of our class!"

"I can't believe you! How dare you think you'll graduate at the top when you're nothing but a dirty cheat!"

He growled. "Watch it, Kagome. I've been putting up with you sniping at me because we're partners and I need you to get high on this report. I'm not a cheat! Take it back or I swear I'll—"

"How dare you threaten me when I'm being honest! You let your secretaries write this report—"

"I let them write based on something I drafted! It's different!"

"It's the same thing!"

"It's different!"

"It's the same---"

"I'm done arguing with you, you stubborn bitch!" he snarled, taking a threatening step towards her. "Now will you give up that report and submit this one with me, or do I just kick you off the top slot of honors?"

She seethed, torn between screaming in frustration and throwing a tearful tantrum. She'd been up all night working on a doomed report, and he had the nerve to write a much better one! Then he went around laughing at her and forcing her to swallow her pride by reminding her of her grades.

Her grades.

They meant so much to her but were they worth this?

She sniffed. "Why didn't you tell me you were writing the report? I could've slept and spared myself the agony."

"It was almost 2 am when I started writing it," he said briskly, though he felt a skitter of unease down his spine when her voice sounded thick and—teary? "I saw your calls and remembered."

"2 am!" she gasped. "You mean you only saw my calls at 2 am! What were you—" She bit her tongue hard enough to make tears spring to her eyes when she remembered. Giving him a ferocious scowl, she looked away, her cheeks flooding with red.

"Now that's something I wanted to talk about," he said with a grin, his good humor returning. "How much did you hear, exactly?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She crossed her arms and turned her face away when he sat down next to her.

"You're lying, Kagome," he said mildly, poking her flushed cheek teasingly.

"Hands off, you!" she snapped, slapping his hand away.

"How much did you hear?" he asked determinedly.

"Enough to leave me seriously disturbed!"

His eyes gleamed dangerously. "In what way?"

"What are you talking about!"

"What you heard left you disturbed in what way?"

She remembered how she'd wanted to press her ear against the phone. "Why are you asking me this!"

"Easy!" he laughed, more than a little bit interested in her evasiveness. "I was just wondering if that's why you're so determined to be a bitch today."

"Oh, so I'm a bitch, am I?"

"Kagome." He leaned forward suddenly and her breath caught as he pressed his forehead against hers, their noses touching. "You are a bitch." Before she could draw back and strike him, he cupped her nape and made her breath rush out again. "But that's not all of who you are."

He was just working away her anger. She knew it, and she tugged desperately at the strings of it even as the damned cowardly emotion fled to be replaced by unease and—anticipation? She willed herself to deny it, but he was so close that he just had to dip his head a little bit lower and their mouths would be touching. His breath was mingling with hers and the heat of his body was swirling into her. Never mind that she knew he was only using the effect he had to keep her from arguing with him again. She gulped.

"Gee, I'm so complimented," she said lamely. "Now get off me."

Kagome—hot and bothered. He'd accomplished it some other times in the past, but once again she was fighting it. He inhaled her arousal, steeled himself as the youkai in him devoured it and howled for more, and drew away.

"Will you submit this with me then?" But he already knew the answer.

"Fine," she grumbled, remembering what a jerk he was cooling the heat and dissipating the pressure roiling in her belly.

"Good," he said smugly, though he kept the gloating to a minimum, feeling generous towards her pride now that he'd managed to subdue her. "Mr. Kurosawa should be here any minute now."