5

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

Special Thanks to: To my Beta ReviewerWriter and anyone who reviews.

Hey ya'll, i've lost track of time, so i'm gonna go ahead and update today - i hpe ya enjoy this chap : Oh, and if anyone can tell me when i updated last, thanks. it bugs me not to know.

Recap:

After using the bathroom, Kagome joined her buddies for dinner. InuYasha smiled, knowing that she hadn't done anything harmful to herself.

After dinner, which was Oyako Domburi (chicken, egg, sometimes salmon and salmon eggs, on white rice), Miroku and Sango went home, thanking the hanyou for his hospitality. After the little crowd was dispersed, Kagome stayed there with InuYasha.

Broken Wings

Chapter 7

Mall Mishap

Three days had passed since Kagome had first been introduced to Sango and Miroku. In that short time Kagome had been groped at least twenty times by the lecher. In turn, InuYasha had beaten him up for each pass and grab the boy mustered. Kagome's quick friendship with Sango quickly grew as well. But InuYasha still remand her best friend.

Eventually, Sango and Miroku had found out about Kagome's heart brake. They shared a deep loathing for that creep Hojo…however; they were not filled in about Kagome's cutting problem. Kagome and InuYasha both agreed it was too soon to tell their friends about it, not to mention it made the poor girl nervous and ill to even think about Hojo.

"So, Kagome?" Sango asked while sitting on a bench in the mall. They were waiting for Miroku and InuYasha to return from the restroom. Miroku had gotten kicked in the groin by an aggressive lady when he had 'accidentally' touched her chest.

"Yes'm?" she responded cheerfully.

"Do you like InuYasha?" she questioned seriously, narrowing her eyes in friendly suspicion. Kagome blushed at the thought.

"N-no...whatever gave you t-that impression?" she stuttered out, trying to be calm about the matter. Kagome knew that was a flat-out lie and had a good assumption that Sango didn't believe her. It was funny, Kagome thought when she considered the question, because she had just had an interesting dream.

In the dream, which happened just last night, InuYasha had been a dashing hero and saved her from Hojo. It was weird to dream about this because she knew she still felt love for the wimp.

"Really…?" Sango muttered out coolly. "I really thought you did; I mean you blush intensely every time he does something nice for you. You're even blushing now, just talking about him," she giggled out, pointing to her friend's rosy face.

"No-I'm-not-blushing," Kagome said very quickly so that the sentence seemed to have melded into one long word. Her blush had increased dramatically, causing Sango to grin even more. She coughed, trying to regain her composure. "We only have a friendship…nothing more, nothing less."

"Riiighht…You blush over everything he does. Also, you are over at InuYasha's house so much these days that you could probably have your mail sent there. Not to mention he practically feels you up every five minutes and you pretend it was an accident…I must say, that's the weirdest 'friendship' I've ever seen," she finished with a not-so-coy smile.

'When she puts it that way, it sounds like we're in love or something,' Kagome scoffed mentally.

"We're just friends," she said strongly. "Besides, I'm," her voice hung low now, "still kinda hung over on my past boyfriend."

"I would say that's a little 'd-u-m-b'", she spelled it out but with all seriousness. "I think that InuYasha really likes you a lot, too."

Kagome chuckled at her assumption. Mulling over it a bit…yeah, he was kinda nice to her…he seemed to be very harsh towards his friends Sango and Miroku but was so sweet around her. Kagome also realized that she was happiest when she was just around InuYasha…but so what? She wasn't in love with him; she was still in love with Hojo…wasn't she?

"I don't think InuYasha could ever love me, Sango. I mean, come on…I'm not the type of person people love or want to be in a relationship with," she stated meekly, looking down at her thin body to avoid eye contact.

"How can you say that?" she asked with surprise. "I've hung out with you for less than a week and you've become like the sister I've never had. You're a very lovable person Kagome," she said with an honest smile, patting her friend's hand.

Kagome was about to argue back but stopped when someone snuck up behind Sango. A hand cupped around her and quickly fondled her breast that was protected by her t-shirt.

"Great news Sango!" Miroku chimed happily, still holding onto her. "There was no permanent damage down there," he hinted at his neither regions. "You can still bare my children!"

"Oh, what splendid news!" she stated sarcastically. She brought her hand up to smack him hard across the face, knocking him to the ground rather hard and forcing him to relinquish his death grip on her bosom. "Now tell me when you stop being so perverted!"

When Miroku hit the tiled ground of the mall he passed out; no one worried too much, he always seemed to pop right back up.

"I warned him not to do that," InuYasha stated as he came into view. "I really insisted that he didn't try and touch you like that, Sango," he said nonchalantly and with a passive shrug.

"If you knew that pervert was going to do that, why didn't you run over here and warn me!" Sango yelled at him.

InuYasha's puppy ears flattened to his head from being reprimanded.

"You know, Miroku gropes you so often that I really didn't think too much about it," the hanyou admitted, putting a smirk to his face. Sango sighed, dropping the subject. Just about that time, the unconscious lecture popped back up as if nothing happened.

Kagome smiled as she saw her hanyou's ears lift back up from his head and twitch ever so slightly.

'Wait…he isn't mine! What am I thinking? I'm in love with Hojo…' Kagome thought to herself, trying hard to prevent a blush from forming at the idea of InuYasha being hers.

"So what activity shall we engage in next?" the perv asked energetically as he brushed himself off and placed an arm around Sango gingerly. He was being very careful not to let his hand tread any lower than Sango would allow.

Before anyone could answer him a new voice rang out that stole the spotlight off this little circle of happy friends.

"Kagome, it's so good to see you!" exclaimed the voice from behind the group.

Everyone turned to see that it was none other than Hojo.

Seeing the wimp, InuYasha automatically placed his arm around Kagome's shoulder. Without realizing it the hanyou growled lightly, but very dangerously, at the approaching man that caused his girl so much heartbreak.

"And I see that you still haven't broken up with that half-breed," Hojo stated indignantly, scouring his eyes over InuYasha as if he was nothing more than a used tissue in his way that should be disposed of.

"What do you want Hojo?" Kagome questioned with what she hoped was a very bored and irritated tone. For some unknown reason it even hurt to see that man whom she still had feelings for.

'Can't he just leave me alone so I can rot away?' she thought miserably, sinking down uncomfortably.

"I want to talk to you," Hojo stated very casually. Noticing the glare from InuYasha, he added, "In privet. It will only be for a few seconds." His hazel eyes were begging her in an irresistible fashion. Much to her dismay, and more to InuYasha's, she gave into the homely look.

With a heavy sigh, Kagome said;

"Fine! But only for a second," she stated coldly.

InuYasha hesitated to take his arm off of her…eventually, he had to release her as tried to stand up. Something didn't seem right, the hanyou thought. There was just something wrong with this boy today…something that didn't feel right. He couldn't place what it was but he knew something was up. Respecting Kagome's decision, he kept his silence.

Hojo offered his hand to hers to help get her off the bench; she merely breathed out in annoyance and stood of her own accord. Stepping away from the group, and making sure they were out of earshot, she asked;

"What do you want, Hojo?" She didn't want to admit it but she was starting to feel that hurt again. Knowing that InuYasha wasn't by her side for support also added to her inner pain.

----------------------------------------To Be Continued----------------------------------------

Yup, Chapter 7. Woohoo! R&R please…I'll be updating soon.