Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T

She smiled all day, through her mother's worried speech about leaving in the middle of the night, through her friend's talk of Hojo and other boys, through her test, which she felt rather good about, and even through Hojo asking her for a date. It wasn't until she felt InuYasha's aura at the shrine that she realized what precisely had happened that morning. She had told him that she... Maybe he hadn't heard, maybe he didn't think...what was she thinking? He had heard and then add it to what she had started...there wasn't much chance of misinterpretation, not that that was a bad thing, she just wasn't sure if he was over Kikyo yet and...

"Hi Kagome."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and, clutching her shirt over her heart, she released a breath. "Hi InuYasha."

"What's wrong koi(love)?" he asked looking at her with concern, "You seem kinda pale. I told you you'd catch you're death out there this morning. If you aren't feeling well maybe you should-"

"I'm fine, InuYasha." Did he just call me 'koi'? "You just startled me, is all."

"Sorry."

"No problem," she replied smiling, "Just let me grab my stuff and we can go."

"No rush. I told the others we wouldn't be back till sunset at least."

What's wrong? Why is he being so nice? Where is my rude crude hanyou? He's not going to be like this all the time is he? I mean, I know we kinda made out but he doesn't need to treat me so differently!

"Great. How about you stay for dinner since we aren't in a rush? I know mom'll love having you."

"What about you?" he asked gently as he took her school bag, heaving the heavy thing effortlessly onto his shoulder. "Would you like to have me over?"

"I'd love to," she beamed.

"So I'll stay," he replied walking to the door ahead of her, "Noone's home. Normally at least your grandfather is."

"He and mom must've gone shopping," she replied awkwardly, "But they and Souta should be back soon."

He nodded and held the front door open for her before he walked in and she removed her shoes. Why was she suddenly so nervous around InuYasha? Maybe it had something to do with his rather odd manner or the soft smile or the completely relaxed look in his face and eyes. He wasn't acting his normal self.

"You're pretty quiet," he asked, his hand on her elbow, "How come?"

"You're acting...kinda..." She paused, unsure how to put it.

"Nice?" he asked and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. Something wrong with that?"

"No!" she countered, "Nothing's wrong with being nice! It's just...you aren't like that a lot."

"Being 'nice' is a weakness I can't afford to show in my time. It could mean my death," he replied meaningfully, "like emotions. I won't risk people getting hurt because they have some obvious emotional connection to me."

"Like you and Kikyo," she whispered walking to the kitchen, "You hungry? I think we've got some extra ramen over here. Somewhere."

"I'm fine."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes before InuYasha nodded towards the living room and they both sat on the couch, turning the tv on and flipping through the stations, InuYasha in control of the remote. She didn't mind. She just liked being close to her hanyou and he didn't seem to mind her leaning on him. InuYasha finally stopped on a station and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, her eyes closed as her head found comfort on his shoulder near his neck. They sat in calm silence for a few minutes before InuYasha chose to speak.

"Is that normal?"

"What?" she asked opening her eyes to see his face.

"What's on the tv."

She looked and blanched when she saw there was a rather steamy make out scene on the tv and InuYasha was watching it rather intently and curiously like he had seen things much better, or worse depending on your point of view. At least both of the participants were clothed...barely. It had to be some beach show. Why else would they be wearing bathing suits? No, scratch that. Those were off. She grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"I guess it isn't."

"In my time, doing...that before you are married is quite normal," she said unfazed, "I just don't like watching those things. What if my mom came in? She sees you and me all alone, sitting together, watching that. She wouldn't be pleased. Trust me. Or Souta? He's too young for that stuff and he'd blab to mom and we'd be in trouble anyways. And don't get me started on gramps."

"So, it's normal?"

"Very. A lot of girls my age aren't virgins."

"Are you?"

"YES!" she called, removing her head from its former spot,"What kind of girl do you tink I am? I have some self-respect!"

"Hey, you just said it was normal to not be a virgin," he countered, not at all upset, "I wanted to make sure you followed your usual, un-normal lifestyle."

"What about me is un-normal?"

"The whole time-travelling thing?"

"Oh yeah," she mused relaxing her head down to his shoulder again. "How silly of me to forget that that's not normal. I guess I've been doing it so long I think it is normal."

"Same here, koi. Course, I'm more used to magic and junk than you were so it didn't strike me too odd."

"Yasha?" If he could call her 'koi', she could call him 'Yasha'.

"Yeah?"

"I can't imagine how boring my life would be without you."

"And I can't imagine how my life would have been if you hadn't freed me, though I could go without the 'sits'."

She chuckled. "Sorry Dog Boy, but those aren't gonna stop anytime soon. They're much too fun."

"For you maybe. They really hurt koi!"

"Suimasen aite,(sorry; lover, may mean mate)" she replied, "But when you transform, that's the only defence I have."

"What did you just..."

"Aite?"

"Yeah. Why did you..."

"You've been calling me 'koi' since you got here," she replied, still relaxed as he looked like he'd have a panic attack, "Did I go too far?" InuYasha began mumbling incoherently and she smiled gently. "Yes or no, aite?"

"Koi," he sighed sadly, "Kagome, We can't...I can't...When we're in front of anyone...it would be dangerous. Hell, out of my own lands it would be dangerous, even if we are alone."

She nodded, understanding. "But alone? And here 'cause I don't see how any of Naraku's spies could see us."

"We aren't that close, really," he mumbled.

"I know you heard me this morning," she whispered sweetly, "The only way you can get me to forget that is if you tell me this instant that you hate me and the only reason you kissed me was because you were thinking about Kikyo."

He was silent and she began to doubt what she had been thinking all day, ready to revert to her thoughts for the last year and a half. She could barely stop the tears she felt building as they neared the minute mark and he hadn't said anything. Was it really that hard to think about?

"I'm waiting," she whispered for fear that raising her voice would show the tears about to come. Still nothing. She sighed softly and stood, breaking the contact between them before she walked upstairs to her room, closing the door before collapsing face down on her bed. She just wanted to be alone for a while.

How could I have been such a fool? Of course he doesn't care about me. This is why I should have never told him. I fooled myself into thinking I had a chance when it's clear I never did. I am such a fool!

"Koi?" asked a voice as a hand touched her back, "What's wrong? I didn't say I hated you, so why are you said?"

"Leave me alone," she whispered.

"Dammit, Kagome, you said to tell you if I hated you and I didn't, did I?"

"You didn't say you didn't."

"You said nothing about telling you otherwise, koi."

"I thought you would understand that it was a free stage to tell me if you did care or not. One or the other. Why else would I do it?"

"I think there was a communication error. I've never been good with talking, koi," he replied, his hand gentle on her back, "You assumed that I'd know how to deal with the chance. I thought you'd have gotten the message ages ago that I don't know how to talk to people. Growing up alone does that to you. Forgive me?"

She rolled over and wiped away a few of her tears. "I guess. You gonna tell me what I asked you before?"

"I don't hate you, koi," he replied, "I wasn't thinking of Kikyo, and I think aite would be fine, so long as we are alone or in the presence of your family. I don't know how safe it is here."

She smiled and nodded. "Deal."

"Good," he grinned, leaning down and kissing her eyelids before following the trail of the tear down to her lips and lightly kissing her. The chaste kiss ended and he pulled her to a sitting position. "Your family's home."

"Great, aite. Let's go say 'hi'."

"Not yet," he replied drawing her into another kiss. "I'm in the mood for some," he leaned in and dried the last of her tears, "very nice smiles from my koi, if she would so honour me."

She laughed at him and smiled, ruffling his hair jokingly. "Oh, aite, what would I do without you?"

"Have another aite?"

"Yasha!" she laughed, shoving him off her bed. "That's not funny!"

"Nope, it's not because if you had another aite I'd have to kill him."

"Ah, but how could you kill him if we had never met?"

"Fate would intervene?"

"Really?" she asked disbelievingly.

"It's possible."

"Only in Fairytales."

"Life is a Fairytale. How else could you explain beautiful girl falling down a well to free and fall in love with a prince?"

"Eww! I do not love Koga!"

"I was talking about me, wench!"

"You are a prince?"

"I'm heir to the Western Lands," he replied, puffing his chest proudly.

"Really? Inu-no nichan is a prince?"

"Sure am kid."

"Souta?" asked a blushing Kagome, "How long have you been there?"

"Since before you pushed him off the bed," declared the brave boy standing in the doorway.

"May I, koi?" he asked, looking to Kagome.

"Just don't hurt him to bad, aite," she replied, "He's only a human boy."

It was too late. They were already gone.

Ooooo. Long. Poor Souta. Two chapters on one day. Nice. R&R please.