How Will I Know

Disclaimer: Aye du knot owne InuYasha. Also, like the way I'm writing about spring when it's fall? (here, anyway it is) Makes me able to kind of get out of the cold for a bit and imagine the warm. Also, I been researching InuYasha by reading the manga (by VIZ--- it's all backwards! Wahhh!) and watching the anime. So they'll be more in –char (hopefully).

Chapter 23: Hey Leonardo

(A.K.A. She Likes Me for Me and I Like Her for Her )

"Ha! I win!"

"Sit… Boy." Kagome panted as she laughed at InuYasha's acquaintance with the ground. They had raced back to the pond, and it had really been a tie. However, InuYasha just HAD to go and brag that he'd won… she didn't really mind, he could if he wanted to, but the way she figured, his arrogance shouldn't go entirely unpunished.

InuYasha stood and brushed the dirt off his front (BARE front! ) before turning to Kagome. He picked her up and carried her into the water, then threw her about three feet out so she landed on her back in the somewhat deep water. She surfaced and glared at InuYasha, but brightened after a second. InuYasha shifted his weight back from her, suddenly dreading the next word out of her mouth.

"Sit." Kagome stormed past the Hanyou who found his face pressed to the ground under a foot of water. When she reached the bank, she wrung out her hair and stood triumphantly before turning towards the rock where her backpack and InuYasha's clothes (besides him swim trunks) were. She leaned back against the wall that rose behind it, then when InuYasha lifted his head from the water, shaking it furiously, Kagome began sprinting the few feet to the ledge above the water.

Dog boy had just dried his hair by shaking it all out when Kagome's splash reached him and left him sopping again. He watched where she'd jumped under until she surfaced a few feet away and began swimming to practice. He didn't bother to shake himself dry; he just dove under the water to practice his own swimming.

The day passed quickly; InuYasha practiced swimming after random fish until he could predict their patterns of escape; Kagome did the same, and once they had to pull up quickly underwater or they would have collided. The fish darted to the side and escaped while InuYasha and Kagome grinned at each other then turned and swam away.

An hour from sunset, InuYasha lifted himself out of the water onto the rock shelf they used for shelter. He shook himself dry, most of the water falling back into the pond. Kagome joined him as he crawled over to her backpack and began digging through it, starving. He pulled out a bag of potato chips and sat back against the rock, content. Kagome kneeled by him and they sat for a while, munching on the chips until they were gone.

Kagome moved over to her towel and began drying herself off. When she finished, she passed it to InuYasha, but he politely refused it, to her surprise.

"But… won't you get cold?"

"Maybe."

"InuYasha, use the towel, please? I don't want you to get sick. I really don't want to see you cold or uncomfortable, since I know you wouldn't really get sick, my big strong fearless Hanyou." Kagome joked. InuYasha folded his hands after he finished licking the chips' flavoring off his fingers.

"I don't want to dry myself off."

"Fine, I'll do it for you." Kagome moved over next to InuYasha and began rubbing the towel along his arms and torso. She took a corner and dried his face, then fluffed his bangs and dried his ears by rubbing them, making them really warm and fuzzy. InuYasha shook his head a little, and Kagome kept rubbing his ears. He had to resist leaning his head into her hand and moaning, but only succeeded in preventing the latter.

After InuYasha was dried, Kagome took out a blanket and curled up in a crevice of the rock so she was protected on two sides. She pulled the blanket over herself and took a deep breath, locking her arms around her knees. She suddenly jumped up, shedding the blanket.

"I have to change. Is that all right with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Alright, just don't stare, or I'll si-" InuYasha flinched, "um, use the spell." InuYasha turned his gaze toward the ground as Kagome took her swimsuit off and pulled on her clothes for the night. He glanced up once when she was turned from him; her underwear were on, but she was having trouble with a latch-thing around her torso.

"Need help?" Kagome looked over her shoulder, startled.

"I think I might." InuYasha stood and walked towards her. "Normally Sango does this for me. Can you just latch it to the first clips? I'm sorry, this is embarrassing…" Kagome rambled on as InuYasha took the bra clips and latched them together. He checked it quickly, then Kagome spun around so she was facing him. He recognized the garment he'd found in the laundry. Kagome traced his gaze and caught his eye with a warning glare; InuYasha quickly turned and sat back where he had been, watching the ground.

Kagome finished changing, and a few seconds later, InuYasha looked up to see her sit in front of him, legs folded under her. She was blushing slightly, and opened her mouth. She paused, then took in a breath, encouraging herself.

"Thanks. I'm sorry you had to do that, it's just… well, sorry." InuYasha met her gaze and leaned toward her slightly.

"It's fine, seriously Kagome. Now I know where that piece of cloth goes." He took a breath, "but what does it do?" Kagome's light blush turned swiftly denser, and she tried to look away from his eyes.

"It… uh… is for support. Listen, thanks, ok? Now… what about food? Do you want anything besides chips for dinner?" InuYasha grinned as she swiftly changed the subject, knowing what he'd say now.

"Ramen, please." Kagome sighed and leaned back.

"You only like me for the food." She turned to dig through her backpack when arms wrapped around her middle from behind.

"No I don't. I only like you for you. You yourself. Can you believe that? Even if you were unattractive, I would still like you. Even without the ramen, and shard-detecting abilities, and everything else you can think of." Kagome sat still for a few seconds, processing this, then thought of something he could like her for.

"What about my resemblance to Kikyo?" She felt InuYasha tense, then slowly ease back into a relaxed position.

"No. Not that. You and Kikyo are two entirely different people. I realize that. Aren't you past being jealous of her?" Kagome tried to spin around to face him, but he moved with her. She gave up and mumbled,

"I'm not jealous." InuYasha pressed his head down on her shoulder and against her neck.

"Good, because there's nothing for you to be jealous of anymore." Kagome was still for a minute, then spun around swiftly and pressed her lips to InuYasha's. He loosened his grip so she could turn the rest of her body, and she did, deepening the kiss. This time, when InuYasha parted his lips, she did so as well. This different kind of kiss sent new shivers up her spine, and they broke apart smiling.

"InuYasha?" He looked at her.

"Yes?"

"I like you for who you are too."

"Good, and that's how it should be."

"Now, how about that ramen?"

A/n- I can picture there that if InuYasha had a tail it would be wagging. I don't know why… the vision just popped into my head. I think it's cute. You should all picture it. Forgive me; I've been sick since three days into Winter Break. (It's now a week in) Ok, done rambling.

Kagome slept soundly although InuYasha sat by her feet, wide awake. The night was cold, but comfortably so. After a few minutes of silence, a soft whimper broke the stillness. InuYasha would have immediately attacked; he felt an odd foreboding tension, but his acute senses told him it was just Kagome. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her still sleeping. Her eyes came half-open, and she sat up.

"InuYasha." Kagome spoke groggily and looked around for him. When she spotted him, the blanket dropped and revealed that her night shirt had slipped down around a shoulder. Kagome moved forward in an odd lunge, as if she had been coming toward him but fell asleep in the middle. Her arms wrapped around InuYasha's torso as he caught her, and she smiled up at him through cloudy eyes.

She's sleepwalking. InuYasha thought.

Kagome leaned up and kissed his cheek before pulling her legs up into InuYasha's lap. There she curled up and continued to sleep, her head resting against his chest. InuYasha pulled up her nightshirt so it was comfortably around her neck again, and he realized she'd removed the garment he'd helped her put on.

Maybe she wasn't supposed to wear it with night clothes. He pulled the blanket over her so that only her face was left open to the air, breathing in and out against his chest and yukata. InuYasha dropped his haiori where the blanket was; he felt too warm surrounded by Kagome, the blanket, and his robe of the fire rat. A dullness crept over him as Kagome snuggled tighter into his chest.

"InuYasha…"

"Goodnight, Kagome." InuYasha closed his eyes. The wind changed direction then, and the breeze carried a scent that made InuYasha's nose twitch. He tried to stand and spin to face his enemy, but the drowsiness seemed to creep deeper into his being; he could hardly keep his eyes open, but tightened his grip on Kagome. He snarled into the swirling darkness, and heard a chuckle from his right. He turned his head slightly, fighting the sleep with all his might. His eyes locked onto his enemy as well as they could; Kouga picked up his haiori and wrinkled his nose at InuYasha's scent.

"This ought to pacify Kagome when she wakes up… her inexplicable affection for you will cease when I tell her you've died. Then I shall have her as my mate!"

"Kouga, you bast…" InuYasha tried to speak, but his words slurred. He watched helplessly as Kagome was lifted from him and wrapped in his haiori before being lifted into the arms of his enemy.

"Kagome!" InuYasha managed to rasp, hoping to wake her. She didn't stir, and InuYasha moved his hand to his sword hilt, but didn't find it there. He looked up at Kouga, who carried it in one of Kagome's hands (sword and sheath), his own wrapped around hers. InuYasha snarled again, and Kouga taunted him.

"Not so high and mighty without your sword, are you, puppy? Although the herb should have made you fall asleep by now, and you shouldn't wake. The mixture I've created is highly poisonous to demons. I'll give you credit for fighting it. Too bad, though, eh? I still have to make sure you won't follow." InuYasha saw Kouga's foot fly at him in slow motion, but was powerless to do anything. It connected with the side of his head and he dropped to the rock, unconscious.

My doG, this chapter--- I got so blocked on it. Please tell me what you think, despite the reviews, my muse is fading… I know! CHOCOLATE!!! BTW, I don't… hate Kouga, just… he's about as hopeless as Houjo, ya know? Kagome should only be with InuYasha. Yep yep. Ok. Well, Merry Christmas, folks! (And a happy new year!) P.P.S.: STICK TO THOSE RESOLUTIONS! TIE TO A BAMBOO BRANCH FOR GOOD LUCK! (Although I don't have any bamboo... . )