Chapter 34

"Your days are growing shorter, Inuyasha. The day is nearly upon you now. You will fall into my plan, half-breed. You will die along with that wench you call a friend. "

"That had to be the longest day of my entire life!" Kagome exclaimed with a short laugh as she tugged at a pale wrist to get it to follow her. She jogged hurridly to the front doors of her school, dragging the boy dressed in red behind her.

"You're tellin' me." The boy snorted, following after Kagome at a slower pace. His amber eyes flashed wildly around him, studying the faces of the awestricken students who passed them with wide eyes. What was so different about him? Was it his bright golden eyes, or his silvery hair? Or maybe it was his outstanding clothes or long, razor sharp nails? Or was it his ivory fangs that protruded from his gums as a human's should be? Whatever it was, it received multiple unwanted gawks.

The miko stretched out a hand to push open the door, but a few other students beat her to it, slapping open the door and skipping off as if Kagome and Inuyasha were nothing but a figment of light or shadow. The two had to quickly duck out the door to avoid getting smacked in the faces with it. But the shining sun that smiled down on them, took all those scornful thoughts and ripped them to shreds.

"Well. It's over, finally. But we should head by the stor-wh-whoa!" Kagome cried out, cringing slightly as she felt a sharp blow to the shoulder as a student rushed by. She felt herself suddenly falling down, stumbling over a few hard pavement steps and a strike of pain ripping through her left leg before warm arms swept around her.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" She breathed his name in surprise as she raised her milky brown eyes to his. You'd think that the miko would get used to having him sweep her out of danger just in the nick of time, but she was almost sure that that would be the moment when Inuyasha didn't cradle her in his arms, keeping her safe from everyone and everything.

"Clumsy fool." Inuyasha spat out, his hands clamped around Kagome's waist, holding her steady on her jelly legs, throbbing wildly with pain. "Where does it hurt?"

"M-My…ankle. I think I sprained it." She whispered, stammering on her words as the pain crept up her scraped limbs. She didn't have a chance to utter another word before the scent of the miko's blood invaded Inuyasha's nostrils. He grunted softly as he lifted her onto a stone pedestal, molded to the side of the school in place of railing.

"Which one?" He demanded, crouching at her feet with a glare of determination. He quickly wiped a few fingers over a slick, clean cut on Kagome's thigh, brushing away the drops of crimson blood that had slipped through the fault. Without an answer, the hanyou raised a pointed finger to prod, gently, at the girl's left ankle.

"Ouch! Hey!" Kagome cried, pulling her legs back from his warm touch. Warm, yes, but very painful.

Again, a short grunt emerged from his throat at her small outburst. His silken dog ears attempted to flick backwards underneath the pressure of the bandana, but it was no use. He could move them an inch, only listen closely to the short giggles and soft whispers of three female voices that lingered somewhere behind him.

Kagome thought about calling out to the voices, pretty sure of who they belonged to, but soon decided against it as she watched Inuyasha crouch lower and turn his back to her, holding his hands behind him, meanwhile, searching for the source of the high pitched giggles.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a mildly confused voice at the hanyou's odd poise. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest as a flock of butterflies battered their colorful wings in her belly.

"You hurt your leg. It'd be easier and less of a hassle if I just carried you. So get on and stop wasting time!" Inuyasha ordered, pushing his back against Kagome's legs to edge her on.

She suppressed a heavy sigh before giving in to the hanyou's attempt of somewhat kindness. She carefully eased herself off the pedestal and gripped Inuyasha's shoulders gently. She breathed heavily, easily feeling the hanyou's strong shoulders beneath his baggy kimono. Kagome even flinched a little as she felt Inuyasha's strong arms weave around her legs, holding her fast to his back as he stood quickly.

'What's he being so…or…semi nice for?' She wondered, looping her arms around his neck before she had a chance to fall backwards. Even if she had, she doubted the hanyou would ever let her fall. He had proven that many a time before. Too many times for her to start doubting him now. In fact, she couldn't remember every doubting Inuyasha. With all that tough and confident talk, it was nearly impossible.

Another sharp giggle and whisper snapped Kagome out of her thoughts and her brown eyes narrowed slightly in unison with Inuyasha's. The miko was pretty sure of who their stalkers were.

'Eri? Yuka? Ayumi?' She sighed mentally. 'Are you guys gonna follow us all the way home?'

Without a simple warning or word at all, Inuyasha darted from the school, skipping over the steps in a single leap where he landed a few feet away. He weaved through the rushing student as a flash of red and silver, holding his school girl companion to his back.

"I…I'm really fine, it's not that bad at all! I don't even think it's a sprain! I probably just twisted it a little. I'll be fine in a few minutes, really! You don't have to carry me all this way." Kagome offered as the hanyou sped out onto the sidewalk, whizzing past stunned people whose eyes just never resized.

"Don't play dumb, Kagome. We're almost there anyway." Inuyasha stated, pushing aside her offer to let her down, maker walk, like a dirtied napkin.

"Inuyasha!" She called his name near his bandana trapped ear a few minutes later, then feeling Inuyasha jerk beneath her.

"I'm not deaf, you know! I can still here you through this thing!" He retorted, slightly annoyed, or that was the expression on his face at the very least. "What?"

"I need to go to the grocery store." Kagome said, sighing gently but unable to hold back the smile that had formed over his snap back at her. "Do you know where that is?" She added.

"I will, if you tell me." Inuyasha said, his tone lowering as his eyes scanned over the streets. His thoughts of the dangers of Kagome's realm never faded when he visited the future era. Those cars, whizzing past, nearly at his same speed, bugged him the most.

"Just keep going. I'll tell you when to stop." Kagome replied, dipping her face low. She pulled in a pleasured breath as the tip of her nose buried into the hanyou's silken hair. She breathed again, this time, taking in his scent. The natural smell of pine needles and wood put a smile to her lips. Inuyasha had said once that he loved her scent, though she had never told him how much she loved his, as much as she truly did.

"Right." Inuyasha agreed, bobbing his head firmly in a short nod as he leapt on across the streets, Kagome secure on his back.

He dashed, just a streak of bright color to the passing people, running at the speed of light. He waited, ran, and waited again for Kagome's call to halt. He wouldn't stop until then, enjoying the feel of the wind in his hair and face, cooling down the hot flashes his body had received with the miko's touch. And Kagome didn't want it to end either, perfectly fine, inhaling breath after breath of Inuyasha's sweet scent.

Kagome's eye lids gradually slid closed. It was hard to keep her eyes open when her cheek was resting against a silver cloud that anyone could just fall asleep on. And she just about did until a sharp growl rumbled through his throat, vibrating against Kagome's cheek. She could feel the hanyou's arms grip on her thighs tighten protectively, startling the girl completely out of her trance.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" She questioned, quietly, as a name rang out from above all the other stranger's soft speaking.

"Kagome!" He called, and she raised her head to glance straight ahead at the tall, handsome, brown haired, school boy that was making his way towards a dazed miko and a very enraged hanyou.

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Lord have mercy. Stupid typos.

Anyway...Here's this one! I love the name of this chapter. It tickles me, it really does. Star wars-y...whatever.

Oh! By the way, don't be afraid to threaten my life for more updates! More motivation! WHOO! Really...I need to shake this stupid writers block...

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