Disclaimer: Nope she still hasn't given to me, so still don't own him. –pout-

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews and I will definitely take some of your suggestions into consideration! Read on!

Chapter 2 – Shopping

Kagome woke to the sun beginning to stream through the window. She smiled remembering that she was managing to get a little vacation and time alone with Inu Yasha at the same time. And the most amazing thing was, it had been his idea.

After a bath, Kagome went downstairs to eat breakfast. Her mother set a plate on the table in front of her. "Where is Inu Yasha? Wasn't he upstairs?"

Kagome paused between bites. "No, he went back last night to tell the others we were leaving for a while, so they wouldn't worry. But he should be back soon. We're going shopping for some clothes today."

"Oh, well then don't forget to get him some swim trunks and a tux."

"Huh?"

"Did you forget? Your cousin is having her wedding and the reunion is being held at the beach this year."

"Really, the beach?"

"What about the beach?" Inu Yasha appeared in the kitchen door.

"That's where we're going tomorrow." Kagome's eyes glazed over with memories. "Gosh, the last time I was at the beach was nearly four years ago. I went with Eri and her sister." She chuckled lightly. "Eri fell off the dock and soaked her new shoes. She was so mad."

Inu Yasha gazed at her. 'I love that laugh, it's like the sound of rain, so soothing.'

"Have a seat, Inu Yasha. I planned on you being here so I made enough food for you." Iki set two large plates on the table filled with eggs, sausage, potatoes, and toast.

Inu Yasha licked his lips as he sat down to devour the food. "Thanks."

Kagome smiled inwardly at his lack of table manners. 'He can be so adorable sometimes.'

After breakfast, Kagome snatched a baseball cap from her dresser and headed out the door with Inu Yasha in tow. "What's the rush, Kagome? I thought we weren't leaving till tomorrow."

"I know, but we have a lot to do."

"What do you mean? We're just going to pick up clothes, right? How long can that take? There can't be that many to pick from."

Kagome continued to drag him down the street by his arm. "Oh, yeah there is. We have whole factories to make clothes. We're going to the mall. There're lots of stores there, with lots of clothes."

"All right, all right, I get it. Now, let go. I can walk on my own, you know."

Kagome complied and they continued on in silence for a while. "Inu Yasha thank you for doing this. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't have come."

"Don't mention it. I'll always protect you, Kagome." He blushed slightly.

She blushed a little deeper. Then she pointed ahead of them. "There's the train station, we'll be taking one to the mall. It's only two stops over."

Inu Yasha followed her, eyeing all the other humans that waited on the platform. When the train arrived, Inu Yasha glared at the large metal contraption with trepidation. "Are you sure that thing's safe?"

Kagome watched as the doors opened. "I'm sure it's perfectly safe. Now come on."

The engineer signaled the doors were about to close. "I don't know, Kagome, that contraption--huh?"

Kagome grabbed his hand. "You're going to make us miss it. Now come on." She drug him through the doors just as they swooshed closed behind him.

Inu Yasha wrinkled his nose at the stench inside the train. Not only did it smell of humans, but of other less attractive scents like smoke, booze, vomit, and even urine. Kagome was still holding his hand and he pulled her closer. The compartment they were in was really crowded. It was standing room only and most of the ones near them were males. He slipped his arm around her waist protectively and Kagome melted into him.

After a few minutes the doors swished open again and more people entered. One man smirked as he brushed up against Kagome's backside. Her eyes widened and Inu Yasha growled. "Hey, watch it!" The man merely gave the hanyou a smug look and turned his back on them. The compartment was nearly filled to capacity now and there was barely enough room for everyone. Inu Yasha pulled Kagome even closer, pressing her warm soft body against his. He was becoming very uncomfortable in the tiny space.

"We're the next stop." Kagome's breath hit his chin like a warm breeze sending a chill down his spine. He nodded, glad to finally be able to escape. And as soon as the doors opened he was out them. He took in a deep breath trying to get some fresh air, but what he got was mostly polluted vapors. He coughed slightly. Kagome's hand suddenly landed gently on his cheek. He gazed down at her. He hadn't realized he was still holding her so close, though she didn't seem to mind.

"Are you all right, Inu Yasha?"

He dipped his head slightly to take in her scent. 'Kagome's scent is better than even fresh air.' After a moment he raised back up. "Yeah, I'm fine." Then he turned to glare at the metal snake as it departed. "That bastard."

Kagome sighed. "Don't worry about it, okay? It was very crowded and it sometimes happens."

"What! People do that to you all the time!"

"Calm down, Inu Yasha. It happens to everyone." She took a step back and grabbed his hand again. "Now, let's go. We have lots to do."

Inu Yasha allowed himself to be pulled along, while he scowled at the now empty tracks. 'No one should ever touch my Kagome.' He blinked at himself. 'My Kagome…When did I start thinking she was mine?' He looked down at their intertwined hands. He sighed inwardly, recalling Kagome's kiss inside the Castle of Illusion. 'Yeah, that was it, when she kissed me.' He licked his lips. 'Oh, how I have dreamed of that kiss.' He glanced at Kagome's supple round lips. He was dying to taste her again. Ever since that night, he had dreamed of kissing her again and again and again. He could still recall coming to his senses with Kagome pressed against him and her soft warm lips pressed against his. She scented of fear, but she had tasted like heaven.

He also remembered the scent of her blood on his hands. He had hurt her. Kagome had said it was nothing and had blown it off, but it had haunted him ever since. There was no way on earth he would become a full demon now. Not after that. Not if it meant hurting her. If she hadn't broken the spell when she did… 'I could have killed her.'

Kagome had been watching him out of the corner of her eye. He had gone from angry to mildly happy to sad and hurt. She paused, making him bump into her. "What's wrong?"

'She was watching me.' He blushed. "Nothing."

Kagome frowned. "Oh…okay." She turned to walk away, but he didn't move.

"Kagome…" She turned back to him. "I just wanted you to know. I don't want to become a full demon anymore."

Kagome blinked. 'Huh? Where did that come from?' Then she smiled. "Inu Yasha, it doesn't matter to me what you are. When the jewel is complete, it's yours. I trust you, Inu Yasha."

"That's why I don't want to be a full demon, because I don't want to ever hurt you again." He ran his thumbs over her shoulders where his own claws had drawn her blood. 'Never, never again.'

Kagome smiled and took his hands in hers. "Thank you, Inu Yasha." She gave him a warm hug. "I always knew you'd make the right choice."

He blushed. 'How could she know, if I didn't even know?' "Um, weren't we getting clothes?"

"Oh, yeah." Kagome grinned and grabbed his hand with even more enthusiasm than before. "Let's go!" She bounced as she pulled him along even faster.

Inu Yasha couldn't help but smile at her as she bounced ahead of him. He had made her happy and that made him happy. Finally they made it to a large building with glass doors. It was a three story mall and the whole front side was made of glass.

"Kagome!" Three familiar voices called.

'Oh, no, not now!' Kagome froze as Yuka, Ayume, and Eri ran up to her. Kagome took a half-step back with anxiety. "Oh, hi guys."

"Hey, what are you doing at the mall? Weren't you sick?" Eri asked.

"Uh, yeah, but I'm feeling much better now." Kagome had no idea what disease her grandfather had for her this week.

"Hey, Kagome, who's the guy?" Ayume asked.

Kagome blushed, realizing she was still holding Inu Yasha's hand. She released it and scratched the back of her head. How was she going to explain this one?

Behind her Inu Yasha pouted a little when she let go of his hand. He huffed and crossed his arm. "I'm Inu Yasha, what's it to you?"

"Inu Yasha, these are my friends from school, you could be a little politer." She scolded him over her shoulder.

"Feh."

The three girls grinned putting two and two together. Yuka leaned over and whispered in Kagome's ear. "So, this is that jealous, spoiled boyfriend of yours. Isn't he?"

Kagome turned bright red and tried desperately to ignore the tiny grunt behind her. She knew Inu Yasha had heard Yuka, no matter how low her friend's voice was. Inu Yasha had heard, of course. Though he wasn't entirely sure what a boyfriend was, he got the connotation. 'A boyfriend must be a potential mate, judging by Kagome's reaction. Why would she refer to me like that? Does she really think that about me?'

Yuka giggled and nodded. "We thought so." Yuka leaned in again. "Now I know why you kept blowing Hojo off. You sure know how to pick the hotties, don't you?"

Kagome turned another shade of brighter red. "Um, well. We came to shop, so we'd better get going." She tried to walk past her friends but she was surrounded.

"Are you getting clothes? Let us help."

"We want to see Hojo's reaction."

"He's inside, you know."

Kagome blanched and took a trembling step back. 'Okay, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come to the mall.'

Inu Yasha sensed her sudden distress. "What's wrong, Kagome? Has this Hobo creep been bothering you, or something?"

The three girls slapped their hands over their mouths, knowing they had just set Hojo up for a pounding.

Kagome waved her hands in the air, trying to quickly defuse the situation. "Uh, it's not like that. He just-"

"Keeps asking Kagome out on dates when she keeps telling him no."

"What!" Inu Yasha balled his fist. 'How dare that guy try to force her to go on a date with him-whatever that is-, if she didn't want to!'

"Ayume!" Kagome screeched. That was definitely the wrong thing to say to Inu Yasha. And it did nothing to calm the situation. Kagome stepped closer to the hanyou, putting a hand on his arm. "Hojo's harmless, I promise."

Yuka snickered. "He couldn't make his way out of a paper sack without his mommy holding his hand."

Eri chuckled. "You'd think he'd get a clue after Kagome's turned him down for three years."

"Yeah, that's what you call dense." Yuka added.

Ayume smiled. "You don't have anything to worry about. You're much better looking than him." The three girls nodded their heads and Kagome blushed.

Inu Yasha's attention was now focused on Kagome. "Three years?" Her blush deepened and he suddenly understood why. 'She was waiting for me. Kagome…'

"Um, well, we have to get you some clothes. So, come on." Kagome spun, pushing through her friends and headed for the entrance. Inu Yasha hesitated only a moment and then headed after her. Kagome's friends hung back for a moment, both to admire Inu Yasha's backside and to give Kagome space. After a moment or two they followed the couple.

Kagome entered the mall trying to ignore the three friends that trailed behind them. Focusing her mind on what they had originally come for. She pointed to a story. "Let's start there. I love their jeans."

Inu Yasha followed her inside and was mystified at all the clothes of various styles, sizes, shapes and colors. Kagome went to a stack of jeans and pulled out some she liked. She held them up to him. He blushed slightly when her hands brushed his hips. After doing some measuring with her eyes she picked out two different sizes and handed them to him. "You need to try them on, so we can make sure they fit."

Inu Yasha glared at the pants. They looked too small, just looking at them made him squirm. "Feh, no way."

"Inu Yasha, you haven't even tried them on yet. Come on, you want to come with me, right?" She lowered her voice. "Well, you'll have to dress like modern guys." She turned him about and pushed him into a changing room. "Just try them on, okay?"

Inu Yasha grumbled, but complied. He did want to go with Kagome, not just to protect her, but for his own peace of mind. He couldn't stand for her to even go home for a few days. He just wouldn't make it through two whole weeks without her. He sighed and slipped into the unusual material. Kagome must have been a pretty good judge of size, because the first pair, which was the smaller, felt snug but not uncomfortably so.

"Inu Yasha, you have to come show me, so we can see which size is best." Kagome heard him grumble something about insistent wenches on the other side of the door. "Inu Yasha, don't make me say 'it'." The door opened roughly and he stalked out. Kagome smiled. "They look very nice."

Behind her, Yuka made a circle with her finger indicating that he should turn around, while trying not to attract Kagome's attention,. Inu Yasha smirked and did as she asked just to see Kagome's reaction. "Are you sure they're not too tight? They feel kind of tight." He asked in his most innocent voice.

Kagome turned red to the ears and sputtered. "N-no, they…uh…they look fine to me. As long as you're comfortable."

"I'd be comfortable in my own clothes."

"Well, you can't wear those, so go try on the other pair."

A few minutes later, he appeared again. He didn't like this pair as much as the first. They felt like they were too loose near the hips. Kagome seemed to agree and so they went back to the other size. "Now, that that is settled, we can start finding you some other pants." Kagome went through the store and found two more pairs of blue jeans, a pair of slacks, a pair of trunks, and package of underwear. She blushed, when he asked what they were for.

Meanwhile Yuka, Ayume, and Eri were busy standing watch for Hojo near the store exit. The three girls were just dying to see Hojo's reaction to Kagome's boyfriend.

Kagome paid for the items and the three girls tried to hide as she and Inu Yasha left. Kagome noticed them, but chose to ignore them instead.

Inu Yasha stuck close to Kagome as they maneuvered through the mall. They at last came to another store and Kagome went around in search of the perfect shirts. This was a lot harder than it sounded, because she had to deal with a hard headed half demon, who refused just about everything she picked out. Finally, Kagome found some plain t-shirts that were just different colors. "Okay, now, you can't say no to these. They don't have any writing on them or pictures or anything like that. They're just plain and in different colors."

He eyed them for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, but none of those sissy colors like pink or orange."

Kagome chuckled. "Okay, why don't you pick out the ones you do like?"

He immediately snatched up a red one. 'Duh,' Kagome thought. Then he picked up a black, dark green and white. He smirked. "It's about time you found something I like, wench."

Kagome put her hands on her hips and scowled. "If you weren't being so difficult, I would have found plenty for you by now." They had been there for nearly an hour.

He huffed. "You pick out girly stuff."

"I do not. They would have looked nice on you." She blushed. "Why don't you try to find something then?"

He smirked. "Fine." Kagome watched as he walked off into the store. She followed with her own smirk. 'Let's just see how well he can find something that he likes. Picky, picky.'

A few minutes later he had about three more shirts each was somewhat plain but had small designs on the sleeves or on the breast. Kagome was rather impressed. He'd actually found some descent looking clothes. She was utterly surprised when he picked out a button down shirt with tiny pin strips of red. She smiled imagining him dressed in the button down shirt and the nice slacks she'd found. They would go great together.

When they were done, they emerged from the store to find the three girls slumped half asleep on a bench. Kagome giggled lightly. "Let's not wake them up." She grabbed Inu Yasha's free hand, the other carried the sacks. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded. "Starving! I never knew shopping could make a person so hungry."

She chuckled. "I did. Come on. Let's go to the food court." She again led the way. It didn't take long for Inu Yasha to catch the scent of food and it made his stomach growl. They rounded a corner and were confronted with the food court. The restaurants were placed in a circle around the tables in the center.

She glanced at him. "I can guess what you want, but how about trying something different."

Inu Yasha snorted. "I want Ramen."

"Why don't you try something else for a change? We have Mexican food, American food, and oh yeah Italian food. Why don't we share a pizza?"

Inu Yasha snorted again and was about to protest, when a male voice called out. "Kagome! Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome groaned inwardly. 'Hojo has the worst timing!' She turned toward him and gave him her fake smile that she liked to give Koga. "Hojo, what are you doing here?"

&&&

A/N: I just couldn't resist a tiny cliffhanger here. Don't worry, I've already got the next chap written and I'll post tomorrow. Till then-Review, Review, Review!