Hey everyone! Just in case you were wondering (which I'm sure you weren't, but I'm the writer here so I'm going to make you read this!) I passed my permit test, and now I can officially drive! MWAHAHAHAHA! So you might want to stay off the roads for a while, heh heh! Well, on with the show!

Disclaimer: What? I don't InuYasha? Well, thanks for telling me this now!

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Chapter 11: Realization

Kagome work up the next morning, warm and contented in her own bed. She smiled lazily at nothing at all and realized with a start that for the first time in a long time, she was actually really and truly happy. After telling someone what she had gone through, and her feelings about everything, Kagome felt refreshed, and clean. Well…maybe not clean. Kagome hopped out off bed, and laughed into the air as she headed for the shower.

Kagome had skipped down the hallway to the bathroom and was just about to open the door when someone pulled it open from the inside. Steam rolled out through the door, and InuYasha emerged, his hair a wet and tangled mass. Kagome blushed and looked away when she realized that he was only wearing a towel loosely tied around his waist. InuYasha looked surprised for a second when he saw Kagome, then his face softened.

"Um…" Kagome managed to choke out, "I just wanted to thank you. For…for listening to me yesterday. I'm sorry if I burdened you with my problems, but I wanted you to know that you helped me, a lot." She turned back to InuYasha to find him watching her with an unreadable expression. "Anyway," she continued, now babbling to fill the silence, "thanks!" Kagome brushed past him into the bathroom, trying to not notice the touch of his bare chest against her arm. She made it into the bathroom, and was about to close the door when she heard InuYasha softly answer.

"No problem," as he turned and left, his black hair contrasting with his skin as he walked to his room. Kagome stared after him, and suddenly shook her head like a dog shaking off water. She stepped into the bathroom and took a deep breath. What was happening to her? She should not, no she would not think about InuYasha that way! She turned on the water, and immediately the image of InuYasha walking away down the hall suddenly popped into her mind. She sighed. Easier said than done…

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InuYasha walked into the college. He couldn't stop thinking about that morning. Why had Kagome been thanking him? He really couldn't understand that girl. He had almost let her die, then he had found out about all the horrible troubles he had gone through in her past, and still she was thanking him. InuYasha growled and ran a hand through his hair with frustration. Why was this all so confusing?

"InuYasha!" InuYasha turned at the call of his name. At first when he saw a black cloud of hair running towards him, he thought it was Kagome racing towards him, but at second glance he realized it was Kikyo.

"Hey, Kikyo," InuYasha greeted the girl. He actually felt relieved. She was something in his life that he could always figure out. He always knew what she was thinking, and she was so uncomplicated. He ran a finger down her arm as Kikyo reached him, and pulled her into a deep kiss, drinking in the thrill that it always gave him. Kikyo knew how to kiss, but that was no surprise, considering how much practice she had. He grinned at her as he pulled away and looped an arm around her shoulder. They walked together into the school, while InuYasha flirted with random fangirls along the way. This was the life. It was fun, safe, and predictable…no need to change his ways now…right?

Just as InuYasha strolled into the school, Kagome arrived. She had gotten another ride to school with Kouga, and found herself to be enjoying his company more and more. He acted like such a tough guy, but deep down, he was a complete sissy. Kagome grinned at him as he opened the door for her like a perfect gentleman, and even offered to carry her books. Some other guys could take a hint from Kouga, Kagome thought to herself as they walked through the doors of the school.

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At the break for lunch, Kagome grabbed a hot lunch from the cafeteria that looked suspiciously like canned dog food, and went to join Sango, Miroku, Kouga, and Rin over at a table to the side. Kagome glanced around and saw InuYasha at another table surrounded, as usual, by girls. She wasn't surprised at that, but she was surprised that Miroku wasn't with him.

"Why are you eating lunch with us?" she asked Miroku, but not in a mean way. He grinned back at her innocently.

"What? I can't take the time to eat lunch once in a while with Sango, my love?" Sango blushed furiously and punched him not so lightly on the arm.

"Yeah, keep talking, perv," she grumbled and looked off to the side. Miroku smirked at her turned head cheekily, but Kagome thought she might have seen something else there as well. Could it be that Miroku really did have feelings for Sango? Miroku turned back to Kagome.

"Plus," he said as he lowered his voice, "he's been going on at Kikyo all day, and I didn't think that I could stand it a moment longer." Kagome glanced again at InuYasha and found him flirting with Kikyo as well as all the other girls around him. She felt as though someone had poured a bucket of water over her head, but she tried not to show it as she turned back to her friends and sat down across from Kouga. She went to work eating the food in front of her, and trying not to glance at InuYasha's table. Suddenly she didn't really feel like being here any more. Kagome stood up to go throw her tray away, when Kouga's voice broke through her daze.

"Kagome? Hey, Kagome, wait!" She stopped and set her tray back down, as he stood up and went over to her side of the table. She glanced back at her other friends but they were busy having a captivating conversation about the lunch food that day. Kagome turned back to Kouga.

"Um, I was just wondering, if maybe…" he tugged on his short ponytail for a second and Kagome had to stifle a giggle. He just looked so damn cute when he was embarrassed! Kouga continued, now looking at the floor, "I was wondering if sometime, if maybe, you and I could get together, and maybe go to the movies or something?" His eyes swung up to hers suddenly, and flashed her a sudden killer smile. "And maybe, I could take you out to dinner afterwards." Kagome stared at him for a moment. A date. He's asking me out on a date. Kagome's mind moved sluggishly, like when she had been out in the cold too long. For some reason her eyes strayed over to InuYasha's table. He was busy making a pass on a girl next to him, as Kikyo sat beside him, laughing. Kagome stared for a second more before coming to a realization.

He's happy, Kagome thought to herself. He's really, truly happy. I was beginning to fall for him, but I was going to let a stupid crush get in the way of something that might make me happy. And when Kagome looked back at Kouga, who eyes were beginning to lose hope the longer she took to answer him, her voice was strong.

"Kouga, I'd love to go out with you." Kouga's face broke into a wide grin. It was so different than that killer grin he sometimes gave her, but to Kagome, it was much more real. She smiled back at him instinctively.

"Great!" Kouga grinned at everyone around him. "How about this Saturday. I can pick you up at six." Kagome grinned back at him.

"That sounds wonderful." She froze up for a moment as Kouga swooped down on her and landed a kiss on her cheek, then relaxed, and realized that it didn't feel horrible being there with him. Not thrilling or especially exciting, but it didn't feel bad to have someone really care about you. She glanced over at InuYasha's table one last time, where he apparently didn't notice anything, then sat down at the table again, and smiled happily as Kouga walked out of the cafeteria. I hope I made the right choice… She sighed and turned around to realize that all of her friends were staring at her. Well, she had some explaining to do.

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Hahaha! I am so evil! Kouga with Kagome! Well, just please don't kill me. Or else you will never find you what the ending will be. Don't worry, I'll try to update again as soon as possible, maybe even tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed reading it, even if it didn't turn out the way you really wanted it to. But never fear! Things might change…