Prompt: "Why are you staring at me like that? It's just a swimsuit, geez."

This time, he had gone according to plan, and he wanted to make one thing clear: anything that went wrong was on her. They had agreed he'd come to her place after classes on Monday, for the last day, and everything was set. Just like the last time, an unimpressed Sango opened the door for him, declared she was going to train and that Kagome would be there in a second, and left the place.

He found her to be somewhat nicer in that, and he wondered why that was. Maybe she was warming up to him? Or maybe she was warming up to Miroku. The monk had been talking about her a lot, and though Inuyasha usually didn't believe half of what he said, perhaps there was some truth in there this time.

He waited awkwardly in the minuscule living-room, then decided to get going on the dishes. He felt a twinge of disappointment at Kagome's absence. If there was one thing he had enjoyed, since this whole thing had begun, it was getting to talk to her. Simple things, really. She'd lean on the counter next to him, occasionally found a chair, and she talked.

It was easy. He liked it.

So for her not to be there, and on his last day, too… It was unpleasant.

He heard the door slam as he was filling the sink with hot water.

"H—"

"I'll be here in a second!"

And with that, her room's door slammed, and he was left alone, again. He focused back on the sink with a bitter taste in his mouth. Was she in a hurry to get rid of him? Did she not want him around? Had she not enjoyed these past few days as much as him?

A few minutes passed, during which he rehashed those thoughts at length, and then he door reopened. He heard her feet moving around before she got to the kitchen.

"So, I did buy it. I know it's a bit daring but— shit."

He turned around when he cursed and found her simply staring at him.

In a swimsuit that could, indeed, be qualified as daring. The thing was tied behind her neck, and two black straps crossed, covering her breasts, before going down to her hips where they turned in very standard bikini bottoms. The display left very little to imagination and, indeed, her entire back and stomach exposed.

He knew he shouldn't have kept looking, but he simply couldn't help himself. His eyes travelled slowly over her body — her long legs, her large thighs and hips, her stomach, her breasts, her shoulders.

"We need to stop meeting like that," Kagome said, attempting a joke.

He cleared his throat.

"You need to stop coming out practically naked when you know I'm here, woman," he said, knowing that he was absolutely not convincing in his fake outrage. "What are ya trying to do, tempt me?"

'Cause if you are, let me tell you, it's fucking working.

"Hey," she protested, folding her arms, which had her breasts doing very interesting things, "it's not my fault! Why are you even staring at me like that? It's just a swimsuit, geez."

But she had to admit, it was flattering, and she was almost disappointed when Inuyasha looked away, blush spreading on his cheeks.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"I was just joking, Inuyasha," she quickly interrupted him, not liking the guilt in his voice. "This is… kind of supposed to get people staring."

People? He had to hold back a growl. He didn't like the idea of people staring at her one bit.

"Well. Now y'know it works, I suppose."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, I thought it was Sango, I— I thought I'd come and wait for you outside of practice, actually. You don't—?"

"Not on Mondays, nah," he said with a shrug, ignoring the fuzzy sensations at his stomach at her words. "I was here last week, remember?"

She snapped her fingers.

"Riiight, I don't know why I didn't make that connection. Ugh, give me two minutes and I'll come back to keep you company. I'm sorry about this, really."

"D'you really think I minded?"

Finally, she got an appropriate reaction, and blushed as he allowed himself to look at her again, this time with real hunger in his eyes.

"I'll be back!" she squeaked, and disappeared in her room.

Inuyasha chuckled, then took a deep breath. Damn. He liked the way she looked. Also, he needed a cold shower.

Kagome came back out, wearing a large T-shirt, and pushed herself up to sit on the worktop next to him. He glanced at her, and was struck by how attracted he was to her. It wasn't the swimsuit, earlier. Even seeing her like that, he wanted to kiss her, wanted to take off her clothes, wanted to have her right then and there. Wanted to hear her say his name, wanted to know how she'd feel under his hands. Wanted her.

"So, how was your day?"

"Alright, I guess," he said, carefully adverting his eyes. "Miroku kept talking about Sango, Koga was a pain in the ass… Same old, same old."

She laughed at that. Her laugh was light, musical. He loved it.

"Koga isn't that bad."

"You know he's nice to you 'cause he liked ya, right?"

"I'd guessed, yeah," she admitted with a grimace. "He, erm, had a hard time taking the hint. But he hasn't overtly flirted with me in the last week, and he was still nice to me, so I guess he's moved on."

"Miroku says he's met a girl. Another wolf-demon."

"Miroku is such a gossip."

Inuyasha let out a laugh.

"He is. He's the worst."

There was a moment of comfortable silence, and Kagome watched him work. She liked looking at him. His lovely dog-ears flicked on top of his head, his biceps moved nicely under his t-shirt, even with such simple movement, and the sight was certainly lovely, and some hair escaped from his ponytail, falling in front of his face.

Without thinking, Kagome leaned forward, towards him, and reached out, pushing it out of the way. Inuyasha immediately turned to look at her, surprise on his face. Which was when she realized how close she had gotten to do that.

"Sorry, I—"

The intensity in his eyes froze her on the spot. She didn't know what she had meant to say. She didn't know if her brain would ever work correctly again, actually. He moved in front of her, his wet, dripping hands on both sides of her, and she swallowed, looking at him. He was close. She had never gotten to notice before the dark sparkles in his golden irises.

He looked at her for a long time, studying her expression, trying to read her. He had been holding back so far, but her contact, even if it was just the tip of her fingers brushing against his forehead, had really made him lose it. He wanted her so fucking bad.

He had just started to lean forwards, and her eyes were fluttering shut, when the front door opened.

When Sango and Miroku came in, his hands were back in the sink, and Kagome was sitting on the worktop, a little further away from him, a blush on her face that could probably be attributed to the steam coming out of the sink. Probably.

"Hey," Sango said, voice as even as ever. "I probably sprained my ankle."

Kagome jumped down from the worktop, immediately running to her friend. Miroku had an arm around her waist and seemed very happy with himself as he helped her lay Sango down on the couch before going to get ice for her in the refrigerator.

Inuyasha had never hated him more than he did now.

Kagome saw them both at the door once he was done.

"Thank you so much, Miroku," she said for the millionth time. "I'll keep you updated, okay? She should be fine in the next couple of days, but I'll let you know."

"My pleasure, really, Kagome," he replied, bowing his head slightly, and if Inuyasha had to hear this one more time, he would die or kill someone.

"And, Inuyasha, thank you, too."

He shrugged.

"'s nothing. I'd lost the bet, hadn't I?"

Kagome winced a little, and he cursed himself when her eyes fell to the ground.

"…sure. I'll see you guys around, then?"

"But of course!" Miroku said enthusiastically. "I will certainly be around."

Sometimes, Inuyasha really wished things were as easy for him.

"Sure," he said.

She smiled and waved at them, then closed the door, and Inuyasha stayed there staring at it for way too long. There was a bitter taste in his mouth.

So that was it, then? He'd just— missed the boat, and now that was it? He'd gotten a taste of what it was like to be with her, to have her by his side, her voice, her laugh, he'd almost gotten to kiss her, and no more? How anticlimactic, in every fucking meaning of the word.

"Are you coming, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, yeah, coming."

Ah well, he thought, turning away from the door that seemed to be laughing in his face. That was life, sometimes. You can't always get what you want.

He knew that better than anyone else.

One chapter left! I know, I know, this chapter wasn't as fluffy as the rest, and I'm aware they have a serious communication problem (both of them, Inuyasha can't take all the blame for that for once). I promise everything will get resolved though, and I hope you'll like the conclusion for this mini-fic!

Dya.