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He could hear her chuckle. He could hear the door close with one more click than was usual. He could her walking towards him, her feet softly carrying her across the floor. He could hear her sitting down next to him...and feel it too. She sat very close.

"..."

Inuyasha only clasped his hand tighter over both his eyes. The blush rapidly forming over his features wasn't all too well-hidden, though.

"...Kagome?"

Kagome didn't answer verbally. Instead, she opted to put her hands over the arm raised to block his eyes. Gently, she started trying to guide it away. Inuyasha's trembling arm remained firmly in place for a very good 5 seconds. Once those 5 seconds were up, however, his iron will began to crumble under the powerful assault of her gentle touch. Soon his muscles were hardly putting any effort into resistance at all. A lowering crimson-cloaked arm revealed two tightly shut eyes, and many beads of sweat surrounding them.

"Inuyashaaaa...are you saying that you don't want these presents?"

"I-I-I do, but if you'd just put some clothes on..."

"Why? " She pouted, petting the side of his face with feathery touches of her fingertips. "You don't want the second half of your present either?" Inuyasha's cheeks twitched uneasily under her oddly soothing touch.

"Se...second half?" He dared to allow the question to shake its way out of his mouth. As the last syllable left his lips, Kagome's lips joined them. Sweet and soft. Inuyasha's eyes opened at that, much to his dismay. Kagome had a very prettty, clean, damp face...

Inuyasha braced his hands against the ground while his lids fought to stay open. The lower lid of his left eye was a-twitch. All the while he attempted to protest Kagome's kisses with a "Mrrrmphhphhhphh!" He hadn't realized that he just made it easier for her to stradle and sit in his lap. The onslaught of kissing continued.

"Ka-- gome -- St -- o-- Stop!" Kagome whispered against his cheek,

"You don't want me?"

"Wha, WANT you! Are you nuts?" The poor assaulted boy blurted.

"For you, I am." She answered softly.

"Well you need to stop!" Inuyasha put his hands on the girl's shoulders and pushed her out to arms' length. Little did he realize that pushing her back was setting himself up to see just how much her towel had unwrapped and fallen. To be a little more precise...her left nipple was showing.

The hanyou's nose and mouth vanished. All there was of his face were two eyes that now took up a large fraction of his head.

"GYEEAAH, c-c-cover that!" Inuyasha squinted once more. He lifted his hands to move the towel back up, but then realized that would entail touching her. Hands jerked back. But she was still uncovered! Hands flailed.

Kagome giggled a good deal at his antics, and then started pulling his haori off.

"You're so silly, Inuyasha."

"EH. OI, don't take that off! Don't!" Inuyasha made an attempt to stand, but his legs suddenly and conveniently locked up. His haori also came off far easier than it should have, in spite of his struggling. The boy blinked dumbfoundedly. "Wha...?"

His undershirt was removed just as easily, and tossed asside by a brightly smiling Kagome. Inuyasha's pounding heart now seemed that much more real, even though he was dreaming. The poor boy looked absolutely terrified at this point. He slowly started to shake his head. "Y-you're not going to..."

"I'm not?"

"You're not?"

"But I am."

"You ARE?"

"OOh, I am." Kagome was leaning forward as he leaned backwards...and soon gravity took hold. A few bags of chips were crushed. Inuyasha's upper half clunked against the floor. His head gave a small bounce while his hair fell all about Kagome's floor. The boy winced, stopped his eyes from spinning, and then continued to look horrified. Why couldn't he get up! Why didn't this feel as entirely wrong as it freakin' should have! The uncharacteristically provocative schoolgirl wasn't making any effort to hold herself up, either. He could feel gravity pressing her comfortably against him. The only thing that defied gravity was her head, which was carelessly moving about his neck and shoulders to deposit kisses.

"N-no..this isn't right...Ka...go...me..." Inuyasha's intensity diminished in both struggling and tone with each syllable of her name. Kagome's nuzzling was evolving shortly thereafter, too. It transformed into the more potent form of kisses mingled with small licks. Poor Inuyasha's nails dug into the floor. As a result ten holes were now left in it.

"K-Kagome, we can't! We--eeeeuggh...NO! You don't know what you're doing!"

"I'm giving something to the man I love," she purred into the crook of his neck.

"Eunnn..." His breathing was starting to relax, though he really didn't want it to. She was making him feel good, damnit...and that made him feel freaked. And on top of that, this whole situation seemed a little familiar...had he done this before? ...whatthehellofcoursenot. Then what the hell was going on? He couldn't get away, but he couldn't hate this, either... Kagome's hands were roving up and down his sides as the affections around his neck, shoulders, and jaw continued to multiply. Soon there was hardly a square inch in that area that hadn't been covered.

Inuyasha felt as if he were both frozen ad burning up all at once. His breath was caught in his throat now, and his eyes could not stay closed nor opened. He was a victim of Kagome's affection and of himself. As more and more pleasant shivers ran through him, his weakened voice continued its attempt to be the only source of reason. "We...can't..."



Morning came on schedule, and a well-rested Kagome stretched to greet the world. Memories of yesterday came drifting back, one by one, and the girl began to prepare herself for the day. Eventually, she recalled Inuyasha's status yesterday morning, and worriedly looked about the room to see if he was in the same state today. However...she found that he wasn't there at all.

Inuyasha's up already...I guess that's a good sign...

Kagome didn't go to look for him right away. Rather, she positioned herself behind the changing screen and switched to her daytime attire. Only once she was ready for the day's activities did she venture outside to find her hanyou companion.

A search through the inside and front entrance of the inn turned up nothing. Now starting to wonder a little, the girl finally decided to check the inn's courtyard, where they had talked two nights previous. Eyes scanned the pretty little garden, but only when they fell upon the koi pond did the distinct red and silver reveal her bedraggled friend's position.

Inuyasha was crouched ankle-deep in the fishy water, positioned in his usual dog-sit. His pants were soaked halfway up to his waist, as were his sleeves. If it weren't for his perpetually bug-eyed, mentally traumatized expression, the boy may have resembled a statue. A steady, groaning growl was emitting from him, that sort of resembled the sound of an engine in the distance. It was hard to tell just how long he'd been there, but it was obviously a while. He was stiff as cardboard and had a lillypad, complete with croaking frog, flattened out over the top of his head.

Kagome's eyebrows and eyelids were lifted in surprise. Her mouth was ever so slightly open, as if she wanted to say something but hadn't the faintest idea as to what would be appropriate. I-Inuyasha.? I don't know what's weirder...how he acted yesterday, or how he's acting today...

..

"..Inuyasha?"

The hanyou, again, really didn't seem to have noticed Kagome's presence until she spoke his name. At that point his statuesque form was shattered by the sound of her voice, and he spazzed. Koi went flying.

"KAGOME!"

The girl watched in mild horror as a fish landed at her feet and began flopping helplessly. Carrying an inate fondness for most living creatures, Kagome quickly picked up the fish and carefully put him back in the pond. As she began rescuing a few more fish, she regaurded Inuyasha reproachfully,

"What are you DOING?"

"N-Nothing!" Inuyasha jerked up to a straight stand. Everything from his waist below was sopped and dripping. "Is there somethin' so wrong with gettin' some time to myself?"

"I--in a Koi pond?" The girl continued to look appalled and utterly confused.

"You got a problem?" Inuyasha demanded as he got up and started walking briskly away, trailing water after him.

"That's the reason they started putting up signs in front of koi ponds!"

"There ain't no sign!" The boy did not once look her in the eye throughout the ordeal. Kagome watched him stalk off, looking qutie preplexed.

What's with him...?

Inuyasha trudged back into the room, ready and rearin' to harass everyone else about getting back to the springs. "Oi! You guys'd better be ready to get rid of that youkai, now..." Everybody looked up, and appeared ready...except Shippou. He was curled in a forcefully snoring ball. The kitsune's falsedly sound slumber was interrupted by the ominous sound of Inuyasha's impatient voice, this time directed solely at him. "Shippou!" The fluffy ball of fox snored louder as a dark shadow fell over its small form.

"Shippou."

The ball began trembling, and then exploded into a furry ball of kitsune on top of Kagome's shoulder,

"I'm up, I'm UP, SEEE!" He was still trembling.

It's like a massage... Kagome couldn't help but think as the little youkai vibrated in her arms.

"Good." Inuyasha's expression indicated that Shippou may have just escaped a good deal of physical pain. Kagome reached over her shoulder to pluck Shippou off and hold him soothingly,

"Tcch, tcch, Shippou-chan. You'll do fine. Besides, this youkai isn't really dangerous." She twitched. "Just perverted."

"An' you're plenty rested and fed up, so you'd better do a good job!"

Inuyasha added. Shippou gave Inuyasha a sulky glare.

"So let's go." Inuyasha was far more irritable and curt than was usual even for him. It was easy to assume that it was because he was tired of staying at this village, but his strangely odd avoidance of everyone...particularly Kagome...might have made them wonder a bit. The girl sighed. She was doing that more than usual the last couple of days, Turning to Shippou, she nodded,

"Okay, Shippou-chan." A rather reluctant kitsune gave a nervous little nod and lifted a crisp green leaf to his forhead.

"Henge!" POOF. Standing in Shippou's place was a rather jittery woman with a convienetly perfect figure and a pretty face. Traces of his features could be seen by those that knew him, but that was all. The group looked him over. Most of them looked impressed, save of course for Inuyasha, who just looked bored. Sango blinked after a moment passed, her eyes falling on Shippou's lower regions. There was a very large, fat bump sticking out from his fabricated kimono.

"Ah...Shippou. How are we going to cover your tail?"

Kagome's face fell. "Oh..." Her mind went to work.

"Once he gets in the water, no one'll be able to see it anyway." Inuyasha mentioned.

"True...but we need to figure out how to cover it up until he gets into the water" Kagome continued to ponder.

Sango ventured another suggestion. "Perhaps you and I should walk closely behind him until he reaches the water, Kagome-chan."

"That would be rather conspicuous, don't you think?" Kagome answered, a finger touched to her chin. "Especially if we don't also get in the water"

"What'd be so conspicuous? The bastard has a one-track mind." Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome landed the side of her fist into her own palm. "I know! Shippou-chan, you should carry your towel like this! Mush your tail with it." Kagome demonstrated, holding a folded towel behind her, she casually strolled about the inn.

"That could work." Sango chimed. Kagome smiled and handed the towel to the gorgeous young "woman" standing in their midsts. The woman gave a squeaky laugh of discomfort as she took the cloth and squished her tail with it.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the ground while his friend was prepared for his most bizarre duties. Once he seemed properly dressed, the hanyou spoke. "Well Shippou, you ready?" The woman swallowed and nodded with wide eyes, her hair bouncing as she did.

"Then get out there!" The impatient hanyou gestured toward the wooded entrance to the secluded spring area. Shippou skittered out the door, tripping a little at first because of the confining nature of his new clothes. Sango looked toward the floor, and then bent down to be at closer level with Kirara. She spoke in a dutiful way to the feline,

"Kirara, you follow Shippou closely. The rest of us won't be far behind." Kirara whistle-mewed in understanding, and trotted off after the transformed kit. Inuyasha watched the two animals leave, and turned to the rest of the party.

"Once he's out of sight, we'll move out."

Miroku elaborated on Inuyasha's instructions, "Inuyasha, you and Kagome should take the trees. Sango and I will travel below along the bushes." Inuyasha's eyes remained locked until Shippou and Kirara had disappeared into the foliage. At that point he kneeled and allowed for Kagome to climb on his back.

"Let's move, then!"

Kagome climbed on in a routine manner. Her thoughts were not routine, however, At least he's acting normal again sooner than he did yesterday...but it's very strange...he's acted so odd two mornings in a row. I can't help but wonder if it's something about being here...

A short distance ahead of the others, Shippou waked shakily down the dirt path. He could feel the heat resonating from the springs and wafting toward his face...it had the feel of impending doom on it, for some reason. Shippou hung his pseudo-effeminate head. "Why do they only use me for things like this, Kirara?" Kirara mewed consolingly up at him from her place at his side. "That Inuyasha doesn't care at all about my dignity. I'd like to see him try and do something like this!" The two of them came to a stop when they realized they were at the steaming edge of one of the springs. Shippou hung his head once more. "I guess I'd better get in..." His robes dropped to the ground, and the fox gulped, hoping that they wouldn't transform back into his normal garments and thus give him away. Immediately more than a little self-conscious in his false woman's body, Shippou dropped himself into the water, letting it rise just enough to cover his most...vulnerable areas. His towel floated up to the water's surface a few feet away from him. The kit sighed. "I hope this doesn't take too long..."

Kirara sat herself down at the water's edge, keeping eyes and ears alert. Five minutes passed without event.

.

Shippou had begun to tremble in place.

Kagome watched from behind Inuyasha's shoulder, hidden away in the trees. He's not taking the bait...or at least not fast enough for Shippou-chan. Maybe it's because he can't hear the talk of many girls... The girl pushed herself forward to lean over Inuyasha's shoulder a bit more. She began giving dramatic hand motions and lip-speaking out enthusiastic instructions to the solitary bather. "Siiing! Siiing out so that he can hear you, Sing!" She lipped.

Shippou glanced upward to the forest's canopy with a quivering lip. The skin below his eyes was dabbled with sweat and turning a nervous shade of blue. I-is she kidding? The kit took a few more moments of staring at Kagome's wild motions to figure it out. She isn't kidding...it's up to me to be responsible and lure the youkai out! I am the key to his destruction! And to fulfill my duties, I must sing! Clearing his throat and opening his tiny mouth, Shippou allowed his now much-higher voice to indulge in song. Very squeaky, awkward, crackly song. Kirara's ears went completely flat while Shippou attempted to keep a beautiful and enticing expression on his features. Kagome gave a thumbs up. Not because the singing was good...simply to commend Shippou's comprehension.

Inuyasha took a pause from his own wincing once a vaguely familiar scent crept to his nose. Eyes shot to alertness as the hanyou lifted his head. His upper lip started to involuntarily lift from his fangs. "He's here..." They boy muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for Kagome to hear. Kagome was waiting to be alerted in such a manner, and so she didn't fail to notice the warning despite Shippou's singing. She gave a quick nod and silently wished the little fox luck.

And then poor Shippou let out a peircing shriek as he felt something curl around his trim 24" waist. Kagome gave a shiver and winced as the scream rang bad recollections through her.

Shippou's scream was rivalling Kagome's previous shrieks as his arms flailed out in a panic. "Wh-wh-WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MEEEEE!" Water flew everywhere. The other members of the group watched from their respecitve hiding places, hesitating before leaping into the bizarre scene. Shippou's wails served as an appropriate background noise as Sango spoke up.

"So...what was the plan, from here?" Everyone sweatdropped.

Shippou was running in circles and flailing his arms as a giggling youkai squrmed about his she-torso. "WHY DID YOU PUT ME TO SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T HAVE A FULL PLAN FOR? DOSHITE DOSHITE DOUSHITE?!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

Miroku looked to the sky, touching his chin, "Now that I think about it, we really didn't work out how to get the youkai off of Shippou after we lured it out... I suppose we were a bit eager..."

"To see Shippou tansform, " Sango murmured with a twitch, raising a clenched fist.

"Sango, Sango! That's a bit weird, even for me!"

"Mina!" Kagome interrupted, sliding out from her cover, "We don't have time for that now!" She had a friend to save from a terrible injustice...one that she had placed him in, at that.

Inuyasha was sick and tired within 5 seconds of listening to his friends act stupid. He scowled.

"Keh, you don't need to ask me what to do." He felt Kagome slide off of his back and into sight, and tensed himself. "That thing is in my sight! He won't escape now!" The hanyou launched himself downward at bullet-speed, making a beeline for the assaulted kitsune and his assaulter. Fangs were bared as a clenched fist lashed outward. It sliced through the air and made striking contact with the side of the youkai's head, just barely missing Shippou's false chest. The little creature careened through the air and met with a large tree. The resounding crack indicated that it was not a soft landing. As the youkai slid down the trunk, Inuyasha leapt after him. He was quickly snatched up in one of the boy's angry clawed hands.

Shippou finally reverted to his original form in a poof of smoke, shaken up beyond belief. "I-I-Iiinuyasha! You could have killed me just now!"

The adreneline-rushed Inuyasha obviously didn't care about his young friend's condition. He was far too occupied with choking the life out of his current prey.

Kagome skidded to a halt in her tracks, turning a harsh word to Inuyasha. "MOU! Inuyasha! Don't be so careless with Shippou-chan!" she yelled as she ran after him and his new captor. The girl went ignored along with the little fox as the twitching hanyou's iron-solid fingers clenched further about the throat of the strange little youkai.

"So you're the little shit who's been wastin' all my time in this damn village? Are you ready to die, bastard?" He growled out menacingly.

The worm stammered nervously. His words seemed calculated, as if he had written a speach and rehearsed it in vain many times over. "I-i am ready to, ready to...d... die at any time, but I can--I cannotnot --I can't go to the next... world without sharing the dreams I w-witnessed with others...!"

Inuyasha cocked a brow. His curiousity was momentarily, albeit dangerously raised. "What the hell are you talking about?"

A nervous smile was beginning to flicker across his bulging features. "I-I know what you drempt of doing with the girl that draws near...a-and if you try to k-kill me, I'll make the retelling of it my last breath!" Inuyasha's eyes instantly bulged large enough to make his nose and mouth appear flea-sized. Both his ears did their very best to point in the direction of the ground. Despite this, they could still hear Kagome's footsteps gaining. She'd be in earshot in seconds. The boy felt his heart leap up into his throat and uncomfortably lodge itself there. "Y-you..." In spite of the multiple urges he had to look behind him at the approaching girl, Inuyasha continued to look at the youkai, searching his features for any sign of a bluff.

"As I recall, she had awakened from a terrible dream, and was seeking certain comforts from you..." the urchin whispered shakily up to the fearful hanyou. Meanwhile, Kagome was trudging through water to reach the pair that was suddenly having a tense but peaceful discussion. It's not like Inuyasha to just listen to somebody like that talk...

"URUSEI! I'll kill you NOW!" Inuyasha gurgled out as an angered fist drew back.

Panic washed over the worm's face. His eyes rolled back as his mouth stretched open to shriek, "Inuyasha drempt of making lo--

Inuyasha's fist stopped short of a deadly punch, and opened up to cover the worm's mouth with an open palm. His freaked-out features had now turned in the direction of Kagome's footfalls, wide eyes falling upon her concerned face. The boy swallowed hard.

Kagome's concern and confusion were deepening rapidly as the creatures mysterious, unfinished words were halted by an unusually frightened boy. She put a hand out, taking a few more tenative steps closer, "Inuyasha..." Inuaysha had no time to answer, even if he wanted to. The critter took the oportunity to sink surprisingly sharp little fangs into Inuyasha's tough skin.

"GARGH!" Inuyasha removed his hand from the creature's mouth and pulled it into its sleeve. This opened a window for the little monster to make one final, solid threat, whispered into the hanyou's ear.

"Let me go or I'll tell her everything in an instant...I'll insert the whole story directly into her mind!"

The pertinent Inuyasha had little to no time to decide...the problem was squeezing at his poor little mind to its last strains of stubbornness. If he let this thing go, the fight wouldn't be over...they'd have to stay here longer...the search for Naraku would be even futher delayed...and he'd have lost. But if he didn't let it go...

"Inuyasha." Kagome began as she took another step forward, suddenly looking more innocent and genuinely caring to him than she had in a long time.

Inuyasha's fingers loosened, and the youkai fell to the ground. It certainly didn't waste any time in dissapearing, leaving an utterly preplexed schoolgirl staring at an utterly defeated hanyou. Inuyasha did not say a word. Saying a word would mean explaining himself. Seconds later, the rest of the group trotted up to the scene. Miroku was the first to break the silence with an oddly polite,

"What happened?"

Kagome's brow remained furrowed as she bit her lower lip and turned her head to watch the steam rise. Inuyasha was silent.

Sango tentatively spoke next. "Kagome-chan...?" Kagome looked up at Sango, her face showing that she was just as baffled as they were. Shippou floated into view, having turned into a large pink balloon with crooked teeth that bit Inuyasha's head in a shakey fury.

"Inu-yashaaa I did all that for noooottthhhiiinnggggg.." It may well have been one of Shippou's largest battle auras ever. Scary as Shippou was, however, Inuyasha was not in the most approachable of mindsets either. The young fox was sent to a tearful collision with yet another tree trunk. Inuyasha's arms then crossed while his bangs hung to overshadow his eyes. The silence prevailed. Kagome held much sympathy for Shippou. He had every right to be angry in this case, and Inuyasha's reaction normally would have warented a good Osuwari. However, by the shear inexpicible nature of Inuyasha's impossible defeat, Kagome found herself worrying about Inuyasha and the entire situation as a whole. Instead of reprimanding him, she asked,

"Daijoubu, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha finally lifted his gaze away from his empty hands and over to the innocent, concerned eyes of the indirect cause of his failure. Needless to say, there was a very strange look to his face. Frustration predominated, with twinges of a pensive fluster accenting it. He couldn't hold the look for very long, however. He had failed her as well. Golden pupils darted away from the girl as the hanyou finally spoke.

"Yeah...fine. Bastard just pulled a damn...trick on me."

Kagome had intended to go console a whimpering kitsune as soon as she got an answer from Inuyasha. She could persue the matter futher after filling her maternal duties. Yet again, he surprised the girl with another strange reaction. She never expected to see a face like that on him. It caught her off guard, and she simply stood there and stared at him, even after the expression had faded. It was a good ten seconds before she remembered her original plan. The girl then lowered her eyes and nodded quietly,

"Ah..." And so she retreated to nurse the psychological and physical wounds delt to poor Shippou. Sango and Miroku, lacking the understanding of Inuyasha that Kagome held, were not satisfied to be silent after such a vague answer.

"But, Inuyasha..." Sango persisted. "What kind of trick did he use on you?" Miroku and Sango did understand each other quite well, though. They exchanged a glance that agreed upon the posibility of behavior manipulation. Both of them watched him carefully, ready to move at any moment.

"Hai, Inuyasha." Miroku added. "It is important that we know what he did so that we can all try to avoid it."

"Just shut up about it already!" The hanyou spat out a warning burst from his already ticking temper. "I'll avoid it next time. Just quit hasslin' me!" Inuyasha shoved his way through the small crowd of his friends in order to stomp his way out of the woods in a very ornery manner. The only option he left with any of them was to stare bewhildredly off in his direction.

To be continued.

(Cue the dramatic preview music again)

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?"

"I told you, it's nothing!"

"Well you're certainly acting like it's something! You had the youkai, what happened?"

"I can't involve you in thisjust stay out of it Kagome, for your own sake!"

"Well I hope that Miroku-sama can figure out what's wrongor we're going to be stuck in this village even longer!"

"I'd rather be facing Naraku"

"Next time on Inuyasha! Nightmare! Sanctifying the Hotspring Sanctuary! Part 4! O-tanoshimi ni!"