Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 4

No Worries

Kagome looked up at the clock in the Tokyo International Airport. Her flight was scheduled to leave in ten minutes and she had been trying to get a hold of Inuyasha to tell him she was leaving the country for a few days.

Kagome got up from those 'comfy' seats they always supply you with at the airport and walked over to the pay phone and dialled Inuyasha's number again.

"Hey! You've reaches Inuyasha Takahashi. Leave a message and I'll call back if I feel like it," the answering machine said.

Kagome sighed and hung up. That was the fifth time she heard that stupid message.

Where are you Inuyasha? Why aren't you at home? And why is your mobile off? Kagome thought after she dialled Inuyasha's mobile number, only to receive a message similar to before.

"Kagome?" Kagome looked up and saw Kouga staring at her. She blushed and looked away. "It's time to board the plane," he said quietly.

"OK," Kagome said brightly stepping away from Kouga and grabbing her bags.

Kouga watched Kagome hurry to the plane with a sigh. Soon, soon, she will dump that stupid inu hanyou and come back to me when she realises I love her.

Inuyasha arrived home after seeing a movie with Miroku Sagami, his best friend, who was pretty gleeful since he had proposed to his girlfriend the night before. Inuyasha shook his head at the thought of Miroku giving up his playboy routines for Sango – she must be one special girl for Miroku to give up so much.

Inuyasha sighed and chucked his keys onto the kitchen counter and made a bee line towards the phone. He felt sort of guilty about the call last night and wanted to clear things up with Kagome. He dialled her mobile number, only to reach the answering machine.

"Hey Kags, um…call me later, OK?" Inuyasha said quietly into the phone before hanging up.

After waiting five minutes for her call, Inuyasha gave up and called her home number. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

Inuyasha recognised that voice. It was Sango Kurata, Kagome's roommate.

"Hey Sango, it's Inuyasha," Inuyasha said trying to sound casual. "Is Kagome there?"

"Um…Kagome's not here right now," Sango said after a few seconds. "She's gone out for a while."

"And how long is a while?" Inuyasha asked staring at a coffee stain on his carpet. He reminded himself to kill Miroku for leaving that stain.

"Um…five days?" Sango squeaked.

"What!" Inuyasha yelled. "Five days! Where the hell is she?"

"She's gone to Australia to do a report," Sango mumbled. "With Kouga."

"Oh crap…you have got to be kidding me!" Inuyasha snarled pacing to and fro, or at least as far as he could pace without the telephone cord snapping. "With that wolf! When did they leave?"

"About an hour ago," Sango said softly. "Kagome called before she boarded the plane."

"Why didn't she call me?" Inuyasha wondered aloud.

"Maybe she's still mad at you?" Sango suggested. "She seemed pretty upset last night…"

Was it because of the phone call last night? Inuyasha thought awkwardly. Or is because…?

Kagome sighed happily under the hot sun as she looked out towards the crystal blue ocean. It was so beautiful here!

"I'm so glad I decided to do this," she said leaning against the balcony guardrails. Today, she and Kouga were going to take a look around the restaurants then, tomorrow, hit the beach and the amusement parks. It was going to be so much fun!

Kagome turned her head to the phone sitting next to her bed. Should I call Inuyasha? she thought walking over to the phone. He's probably mad at me…

With a deep breath, Kagome picked up the phone and dialled Inuyasha's number. It rang four or five times before someone picked up.

"Takahashi residence," a woman's voice said pleasantly.

A woman?

"Um…hi. Is Inuyasha available?"

"Not right now, he's taking a shower."

"Oh," Kagome said nervously. "Um…who is this anyway?"

"This is Kikyo Sasuki. Would you like to leave a message for Inuyasha?"

"Um…no, it's all right," Kagome said biting her lip.

"Can I have your name then?" Kikyo said sounding a little irritated.

"I'll just call back later," Kagome said quietly. "Thanks."

Kagome hung up quickly. Why is Kikyo over at Inuyasha's apartment? And while he's taking a shower as well! He can't be…? He loves me right! But why won't he tell me? Miroku and Sango have been together shorter than we have and already, they are planning to get married.

Kagome gave a sigh. It was five o'clock now: time to get some work started.

"Did anyone call?" Inuyasha asked stepping out of his room in a black suit.

"Nope!" Kikyo said brightly. "Thanks for doing this Inuyasha, I owe you one."

"It's no problem," Inuyasha said straightening his tie. "So where are we eating dinner?"

"At the Golden Fountain restaurant," Kikyo said casually picking up her purse.

"You got reservations at the Golden Fountain?" Inuyasha said surprised. "I heard it's impossible to get reservations there!"

"I know the owner," Kikyo said blowing at her nails and polishing them on her cardigan. "It's nothing really."

After dinner with Kouga (Kagome had to admit that it was kind of romantic – the dinner had included candles, a sunset, a beach view and some of the best sea food in Queensland – and she made a mental note to have her honeymoon in the Gold Coast), Kagome went to her phone and dialled Sango to tell her she arrived safely.

"Hello?" Sango asked after two rings.

"Hey Sango!"

"Kags? Oh my God! You arrived safely?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be calling," Kagome teased. "What's up? Anything interesting happened since I've been gone?"

"Inuyasha called," Sango replied. "He wanted to know why you didn't call him before you left."

"I did call!" Kagome protested. "I call his mobile and I called his home number, but he didn't pick up. And don't even say 'Why didn't you leave a message?' because that would sound really stupid. You know, checking your messages and finding out that your girlfriend just left a message saying: 'Hi! I'm going to Australia with Kouga for five days and I'm about to board the plane so I just thought I'd let you know. Opps, I got to go now!'"

Sango giggled. "OK, OK, point taken," Sango replied. "Why don't you just call Inuyasha now and let him know that you're all right?"

"I called when I got to the hotel -"

"And you didn't call me first?"

"- but Kikyo was there so I didn't leave a message. I just said I would call back later…is now a good time to call, ya think?"

"Sure, I guess. I mean what should Inuyasha be doing right now? His girlfriend is overseas so he really should have no plans until you come back, ne?"

"All right," Kagome said. "I'll call you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK. Talk to you later."

The two girls hung up and Kagome punched Inuyasha's number into the phone. It rang…and rang…then the answering machine began to play.

"Hey! You've reaches Inuyasha Takahashi. Leave a message and I'll call back if I feel like it."

The annoying tone beeped and Kagome gave a sigh. "Hey Takahashi," Kagome said in a teasing tone. "Greetings from your girlfriend in Australia! Sorry I didn't call earlier…I tried but I kept on getting your answering machine. I um…guess you're not in since you aren't picking up. No duh! Stupid Kagome. I mean, if you were at home, you would pick up. Maybe I'll call your mobile…where are you Inuyasha?" Kagome gave another sigh. "OK, I'll just call you later…if you're ever available to talk. God, even Sango can talk and her boyfriend is less than ten minutes away from her and she's engaged."

Kagome hung up and fell onto her bed. "Where are you Inuyasha?" Kagome mumbled. "Please don't be out with Kikyo! Please don't leave me for Kikyo…"

"So where are your friends?" Inuyasha asked looking at his watch. "They're half an hour late…"

"Huh," Kikyo said 'nervously'. "I guess they're late, but it's not like them to be late. How about we order now? I think they would understand us ordering with them."

Inuyasha sighed. He was hungry but…why did it feel like a setup right now?

"Sure, let's order."

Inuyasha got home around midnight with Kikyo, after receiving a call from Kikyo's friends an hour after the two had arrived at the restaurant saying that they couldn't make it. Or at least that's what Kikyo said.

Kikyo said that she might have left a lipstick in Inuyasha's living room. Inuyasha left her to search for her lipstick while he went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

The moment Inuyasha left the room; Kikyo stood up and sat down on the sofa, waiting for Inuyasha to return. She looked around the slightly neat and clean room when her eyes fell upon the blinking answering machine.

She looked towards the kitchen door, seeing Inuyasha busy with the kettle. Good, she thought walking over to the answering machine. She pressed the play button and Kagome's message played.

Kikyo frowned. Inuyasha's girlfriend didn't tell him she left the country? I suppose he would be mad if he didn't receive a call from her either.

Kikyo pressed the erase button and Kagome's voice stopped playing. She smirked and relaxed back onto the sofa. The phone rang and Kikyo ignored it.

"Kikyo! Can you get the phone?" Inuyasha's voice called from the kitchen.

Kikyo reached over and picked up the phone.

"Takahashi residence."

"H-hi? Is Inuyasha there?"

Kikyo recognised the voice – it belonged to Inuyasha's annoying little girlfriend, Kagome.

"He's busy right now," Kikyo said quietly, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't be listening. "Who is this?"

"Kagome Higurashi. I need to talk to Inuyasha…now would be nice as well."

"Kikyo? Who is it?" Inuyasha's voice shouted. "Tell whoever it is that I can't talk to them right now. I'll call back later."

"Inuyasha said that he'll call you back later," Kikyo said smirking, knowing fully well that Kagome heard that, before hanging up.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha came with two mugs full of coffee. "Who was on the phone?" he asked handing her a blue mug.

"Just some girl," Kikyo said taking a sip of the coffee. "She didn't leave a phone number."

"Did she leave a name?" Inuyasha asked filling his mouth with the hot coffee.

Kikyo bit her lip. Inuyasha would be so mad at me if he found out I lied to him when that stupid girl of his comes back…I guess I should tell him.

"I think she said it was Kagome Higurashi," Kikyo said looking at him over the rim of her mug.

Inuyasha sprayed coffee over his carpet, next to the stain Miroku had left.

"What?" he said rushing to the phone. "Kagome called? Are you sure she didn't leave a number?"

"She said she would call back later," Kikyo said innocently.

Inuyasha sighed, staring at the phone, willing it to ring. But it never did.

Author's Note: Again, I stress the fact that if you are going to leave a review, don't suggest how I can improve the story or future chapter ideas.