!WARNING! Just to be safe, this chapter is rated M. !WARNING!
Previously on "The Project":
He didn't remember how long they sat there. All he remembered was her quiet sobs and his hand stroking her hair.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his jacket.
Inu-yasha didn't answer, just continued to hold her, daring anyone to take her from him.
Chapter 15
The Project
Kagome sucked on her straw. Thick blue liquid flowed to her mouth, turning her teeth and lips dark azure. Her mascara was streaked and she had on Inu-yasha's big red and white jacket. Inu-yasha studied her face as she experienced a slight brain freeze. His lips were tight. He was dying to know what caused her to behave the way she did but he decided to calm her down first with one of his favorite flavors of slurpees and a walk around Reanu Park. After her break-down, she only nodded at his suggestion.
As they walked, she took another sip of her slurpee. Inu-yasha had one too but he hadn't touched it, the melted liquid already cumulating on the bottom. He had had full intention of drinking it but he seemed to forget all about it when he saw Kagome's eyes.
Kagome suddenly slowed down to a stop close to a park picnic table. She went over to it and sat down on the top portion of the table, her feet resting on the seating part, and Inu-yasha followed. He was being very patient with her and for that she was grateful. She would tell him her story now. He deserved it after everything she had put him through.
Kagome sighed and moved closer to Inu-yasha in an effort to keep in the warm. It was a chilly fall night indeed.
She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know where to start."
"The beginning is always a good place," Inu-yasha suggested with a playful smile.
"It's a long story," she warned.
Inu-yasha grinned and said, "Despite what you and others think, I can be patient."
Kagome smiled too but soon got serious. She took a deep breathe as she prepared to tell her story. "I guess I should tell you why I... reacted the way I did just now." She hesitated shortly before continuing. "The man you saw by the door is my ex-boyfriend, Naraku." She didn't look at Inu-yasha. If she did, she might chicken out and not say everything that needed to be said. Instead Kagome focused her gaze on the bright full moon that shown overhead. She leaned back on her palms as she remembered the memory that had haunted her for two years.
"I first met Naraku a week or two before I started high school," Kagome began. "I was fourteen and he told me he was seventeen. He had failed freshman year so he was a junior instead of a senior." Inu-yasha remembered that the man he had seen looked to be about nineteen or twenty, so that made sense.
"I distinctly remember that I thought he didn't look attractive in the least bit. He just looked too dark to me. Almost every other girl I knew said he was mysterious, not dark." Kagome snorted and then continued. "I also remember how much of a pervert he was. I had talked to him for no more than thirty seconds and he had already tried everything he could to get closer to me."
"Why didn't you tell him to back off?" Inu-yasha asked softly but with emotion. That creep put his hands on her within seconds of knowing her? He wanted to punch him already.
"I was too shy to tell him outright to back off, though I wish I had…" Her voice trailed off. To fill her silence, she took a sip of her slurpee.
"I had seen him at school but I hardly talked to him," Kagome continued, taking sips of her slurpee periodically. "I didn't like them for it, but my friends set me up and the next thing I knew, I was going to a party with him. After that, it was understood with everyone at school that we were dating. I didn't want to be dating him, but I was too shy and thought it would be rude to dump him after only a few days of 'going out' so I kept quiet." Kagome thought of all the times she had 'kept quiet' with regret. "I wish I had said something sooner."
Inu-yasha looked at her with a question in his eyes. What was she hinting at?
Kagome took another sip and stared at the moon with an unwavering gaze. "It wasn't long after we started going out that I found him selling and using drugs." Inu-yasha's eyes widened but he kept quiet. "I didn't like it one bit and would have told him so and dumped him on the spot. But he got to me first. He caught me staring at the bag of drugs in his hand and dragged me to a nearby room. He used every threat in the book to explain to me that if I ever told anyone, I'd regret it. I didn't doubt that for a second. Naraku was one to always hold true to his promises. I never found out why he cared if I told or not. His mother died when he was five and his dad helped him sell the drugs so it wasn't like he was hiding it from his parents. He never told me why and I didn't dare ask.
"One day at a noisy party, when I accidentally wandered into the room he was selling in, he took me into another room and slapped me."
Inu-yasha felt his blood boil but he could see that if he interrupted her now, she'd never finish.
"I was shocked at first and then he slapped me again. He threatened to frame me and get me put in jail if I told anyone what I had seen. He told me to stop snooping around. I hadn't been but I didn't try to argue with him. After he threw me mercilessly across the room, he left me there. I had to walk home that night. It was the first, and nicest, of the many beatings I received from him." Kagome fell silent and sipped the blue liquid.
This was the hard part, the part that really scared her. All the memories of Naraku's beatings came back to her, relentless and overwhelming. Tears began to make a wet trail down her face but she continued on. "The abuse got worse and worse over the course of the year I was with him. He… He even raped me a few times." Inu-yasha looked livid as she said it. The guy was going to hell if he ever got his hands on him. "I was just too scared to get out of it, and I had no idea how. He made threats that I was sure he would carry out. I began wearing larger clothes to hide the scratches and bruises he gave me. People at school either ignored how quiet I became or didn't do anything about it. I didn't know what to do…" She gave way to quiet sobs and Inu-yasha immediately put his arms comfortingly around her. He was having a hard time restraining his anger. This guy abused and raped her. He truly wanted to kill him for it.
She spoke into Inu-yasha's warm chest. "I noticed that Naraku really only sold at parties. The chaos was a good cover-up most of the time since no on really paid attention anyway. After a year of this hell, I was finally freed of his cruel grasp by pure luck. The party we were at was at a very rich house and was so noisy that the next-door neighbors called the cops on us. In the process of trying to quiet down the out-of-hand party, the police uncovered Naraku's secret. Apparently, he had been making a big deal that night because he had almost an entire trunk-full of cocaine. They found all of it and arrested him on the spot. All the threats of putting the blame on me didn't work because it was all in his car and I was no where near him the whole party. A court date a little while later sentenced him to some time in rehab. It would've been jail but his lawyer managed to convince the judge that his actions were due to depression and severe family problems. It was true that he had issues in his family, but it wasn't a valid reason to me."
After a moment, Kagome left the comfort of Inu-yasha's arms and wiped her eyes with Inu-yasha's jacket sleeve. She felt somewhat guilty for having his warm jacket all to herself when she was sure he was freezing his ass off. But she also knew that he was too proud to let her know that. Her finger found its way to the hood string and twirled it as she spoke again.
"I met Sango about the same time I met Naraku. We were good friends for a while but when Naraku started abusing me, he also isolated me from my friends so I couldn't get too close to someone and expose his secret. Although we had stopped talking, Sango knew there was something different and very wrong in my life. I felt like she was the only one who could see the difference in me. She found out what had been happening to me after court. She felt guilty for not speaking up on my behalf and has been overprotective of me since. I didn't risk talking to her when I was with Naraku though because he somehow always knew my schedule and seemed to be able to find me anywhere and find out who I was with." Kagome frowned ruefully and said, "I guess that's how he found me this time."
"But didn't you live in Colorado before here?" Inu-yasha asked. "That's half-way around the country."
"I know," Kagome said miserably. "I had always been afraid he would hunt me down. I thought I had covered my tracks carefully. I went as far away from him as I could and made sure I moved to a place where no one knew me." She paused and then looked at Inu-yasha with a pained look. "That's why I didn't want to date you or get to know you, Inu-yasha. I knew you were the son of the owner of a famous business and it would only make it easier for Naraku to find me if he saw my picture or name in the newspaper or magazine. I figured it best to keep to myself and not get to know anyone on the popular side. That's why I'm so quiet at school."
Suddenly, it all made sense to Inu-yasha. She had turned him down because she didn't want to become publicized. She hid her seductive body with baggy clothes to attract less attention. She was quiet because she hoped to be invisible and never be found by her ex-boyfriend. But something didn't add up and it nagged at Inu-yasha.
"I don't get it," he said carefully. "Why would he want to come after you if you already told everything that needed to be told in the court?"
Kagome looked away so he couldn't see the guilty look on her face. "I… I didn't say anything about the times he raped me. I figured people would have thought it was okay since we were going out. I didn't even tell Sango. I thought she might want me to tell the courts and I was afraid no one would believe me."
Inu-yasha was increasingly aware of how little she trusted everyone. She always thought no one would believe her. But there was something in her eye that troubled him. She still looked guilty, which was understandable since she probably felt she should have said something about her terrors. But it was different. She didn't want to look at him.
"Kagome," he said softly. She turned to him and in a flash, he realized she was hiding something from him. "What else didn't you tell?" he asked, sure that that was it. Suddenly she was raked with sobs. Inu-yasha's eyes widened in alarm. "Kagome? What's wrong?" She didn't answer and kept crying. Inu-yasha tried to comfort her but she couldn't seem to stop.
Inu-yasha waited patiently with his arms around her. Kagome felt safer than ever in his arms and she knew why. She trusted him. She had to tell him, but it wasn't going to be easy.
"I… I knew this kid named Sukaru," she said after she had quieted down. "We weren't really friends but I had seen him at school often. He was a really quiet kid." She thought back to that night that would remain in her memories forever.
xXx Flashback (Kagome's point of view) xXx
I looked around the atmosphere and found it utterly disgusting. I hated these kinds of parties when everyone was drunk beyond imagination. Half the girls were vomiting all over the place with drunken boys laughing. How was that funny, I wondered. The air was thick with smoke and the most repugnant smell… I didn't even want to figure out what it was, although I probably could have.
A green girl vomited right at my feet. She only missed my shoes by an inch. That was the last straw. I wanted to leave, but Naraku was my only way home. My eyes clouded with fear from the memories of the eight months of hell I'd been going through because of him, but after I saw the girl vomit again, I didn't care. Anything was better than being here.
I picked my way through kissing couples, empty beer cans, and passed out teens. I could feel myself getting very close to sick. I saw a sliding glass door and made a bee-line for it.
Fresh air! I thought as soon as I stepped into the cool night air. After taking a few more breathers, I prepared to venture back in to find Naraku.
Suddenly, I heard voices. They seemed to be getting louder, like they were arguing. I inched toward the side of the house until I could hear what they were saying.
"I swear to you, if you don't give me my fucking money, I'll blow your fucking head to hell," a menacing voice snarled. My eyes widened. I'd recognize that tone and that voice anywhere. Naraku.
"I said I'm sorry, I'll get it tomorrow," a pleading voice answered. It took me a moment but I recognized it as a boy named Sukaru. He was always so quiet. I never even dreamed he would be mixed up with someone like Naraku. But then again, I'm sure everyone wouldn't think I'd get mixed up with him either…
"We agreed you'd give it to me tonight," Naraku's voice bounced down the walls to my ears. "You have a lot of fucking nerve to show up here without it."
Sukaru seemed to be getting annoyed and his next remark was on the smug side. "Actually, I did have it but some kids found it in my car and took it. I'm sure they're telling the police by now."
I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking. My eyes widened. Out of instinct, I ran around the corner. Naraku had Sukaru pinned against the side of the house. He was holding onto his shirt collar with his other hand pointing a gun at his head.
"Naraku!" I screamed hysterically, my eyes unbearably large with fear for Sukaru's life… and my own. I couldn't even imagine what Naraku would do to me since I had interfered. "Don't do it!" I screamed.
He turned and looked at me surprised but kept the gun pointed at the boy. I would never ever forget what happened next.
Naraku smirked, backed away from the boy… and fired. Sukaru fell to the ground in a heap instantly, blood pooling around his body and streaming out of the circular hole in his head. My legs gave way and I fell to the ground in astonishment. Tears streamed down my face. I didn't know that boy but my heart still went out to him.
Naraku looked at the body for a moment, groaned slightly when he saw that blood had gotten on his shirt and then moved toward me. I was frozen with fear. He was a cold-blooded killer. He wouldn't hesitate to kill me too.
Naraku stood looking down at me. He bent down and grabbed my chin and faced me toward him. "You see that?" he asked. I didn't even nod. "That was all your fault." I blinked at him. "If you hadn't surprised me, my hand wouldn't have slipped and fired." I stared at him in complete fear. I saw him. He smirked before he fired. I didn't do anything but try to prevent it. Unfortunately, the outcome would have been the same if I interfered or not. But I understood what he was saying. He would blame me if I had ever told anyone. That's probably why he didn't kill me too. Even if someone did find out, he could just put the blame on me and get away with only a light sentence in court.
Naraku stood up and said, "Remember this Kagome. This is what happens when you get on my bad side. You're getting dangerously close to it with all this snooping around you've been doing. Upset me again, and I'll have no choice."
I nodded numbly, mostly to please him. I hated him more than ever now, if that was even possible. He killed that boy out of cold blood over a little money. I couldn't believe it and I didn't doubt I would share the same fate as Sukaru if I told anyone. But I'd never forget the scene. Not in a million years.
xXx End Flashback xXx
Inu-yasha stared at Kagome in complete astonishment and horror. She had just finished her story. It was definitely a valid reason to be scared Naraku would come back for her.
"Right after that, Naraku changed his clothes in his car and went back to the party with me in tow. He had to create an alibi so it wouldn't seem too suspicious that we left right after the gunshot. By then, everyone what frantic about the gunshot, even though most of them were so drunk they weren't sure what a gun was. Naraku acted as surprised and horrified as everyone else at the party when they found his body. I couldn't even manage to speak to anyone. I had witnessed it first hand.
"Somehow, no one ever traced it back to Naraku.," Kagome continued. "Nobody ever would have guessed Sukaru was connected to him. He was so quiet and talked to almost no one. I was the only one who knew the truth about his death. I should have told someone, anybody. But I was scared to death of Naraku. Besides, I didn't think anyone would believe me. If I told but they didn't believe me and they told Naraku about it… I would've ended up like Sukaru." Kagome shuddered and fell silent.
Inu-yasha regarded her seriously. "So I'm the only one who knows?"
Kagome nodded. She hadn't even told Sango. "Even after he was put in rehab, I couldn't tell. I knew he wouldn't stay there for forever. He could always come after me after he was released. I wish I had told the whole story the first time in court. Maybe he would have been sentenced to life in jail instead of just rehab. If that had happened, I wouldn't still be so scared of him.
"I didn't think they'd let him out after a year though. After all he did, I was sure they would keep him longer, which was why I was so surprised to see him at the restaurant." She sighed. "Now it doesn't matter if I tell you. He already found me and he must of some intention of confronting me now that he knows I'm here." It wasn't guaranteed that he knew she was there since he didn't see her at Zake but if he was in town, he must at least suspect she was here.
Inu-yasha's eyes widened. "You mean you're just going to let him do what he wants when he finds you?" With a secret like murder in her knowledge, Naraku must have something very close to death in his mind for her. What better way to keep it a secret than getting rid of the one person who knew?
Tears streaked down her face. "I don't know. Inu-yasha, what am I supposed to do?"
Inu-yasha said firmly, "You can't run for forever. Even if you get away from him this time, he'll find you again like he found you this time. You have to get rid of this problem once and for all."
Kagome looked at him fearfully. She was afraid of this. It was why she didn't tell Sango. Inu-yasha wanted her to tell the courts about the murder but it was exactly what she didn't want to do. What if Naraku's lawyer turned the tables just like he wanted and she ended up in jail instead? If he didn't end up in jail for life without bail then she'd be scared for forever.
"I can't," she said.
Inu-yasha frowned. "Why not?"
"What will happen if it doesn't work out and he manages to put the blame on me at court just like he said he would? What then?"
Inu-yasha hugged her tightly and said, "That won't happen. I swear it won't."
"How do you know?" Kagome asked, her tears staining his silver hair.
"You have people that love you," Inu-yasha said when he pulled away to look into her eyes. Myself included, he thought but didn't say out loud. "We're not going to let something like that happen, not in a million years. You said you are always afraid of people not believing you but that's just what Naraku wants you to believe so you won't ever tell anyone. You just told me and I trust you completely, and I've only known you for two weeks. Sango has known you for two years, she'll trust you. And your family would never think you would lie about something like this." Inu-yasha pulled her closer again and whispered, "Don't worry. You're safe."
Kagome's tears fell freely. It made so much sense the way he put it. It was true; Naraku had just wanted her to think no one would believe her. She felt like a fool for not thinking about it the way Inu-yasha had spelled it out sooner. And in Inu-yasha's arms, she felt safer than she had ever been.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Inu-yasha smiled tenderly and stroked her hair. She trusted him enough to reveal her darkest secrets. He had discovered what had kept her from going out with him. His project was a success. But he realized as he thought about it that it wasn't really about the project. He wanted to know himself, not because he had made a goal that year to gain her heart. He had always been curious about her, not just because of the project.
Inu-yasha pulled away and stood up from the picnic table. After stretching, he offered his hand to her. She took it without hesitation. They began to walk, sipping the remainder of their slurpees, and watching the fire flies blink in and out of existence.
"I want to show you something," Inu-yasha said suddenly. "It's Miroku's and my favorite spot in this park." Inu-yasha led her to a large willow tree and helped her climb up it. She was uneasy about it at first but with Inu-yasha to guide her, she made it up without issues. They went almost to the very top before he stopped. He went first and sat on a large branch big and flat enough for him to sit down Indian style without trouble. He had Kagome sit in his lap.
"Look there," he whispered and pointed at a large gap in the branches. It framed the full moon and the night sky perfectly. The silver glow cast an eerie shadow on the couple.
"Wow," Kagome breathed. She always loved the full moon. It always seemed to make her feel strangely calm.
"Look there too," Inu-yasha said. He pointed at the empty park. It looked perfect with the moon's glow lighting it up and the fire flies helping. A smile took over Kagome's face as she stared.
Inu-yasha wrapped his arms around her stomach to keep her from falling and Kagome leaned into his embrace. Inu-yasha's head was nestled in between her shoulder and head. The couple stayed in that spot for a moment, completely comfortable with being so close to one another and sharing the moment with each other.
Kagome pulled away slightly to face him. She smiled and said, "Thank you for everything. For dinner, listening to my story, trusting me, and showing me this."
Inu-yasha grinned back and said, "My pleasure."
Kagome looked into his amber orbs a moment longer and then leaned closer. He met her lips halfway with his own. She granted his tongue access almost instantly and it darted in and explored her mouth thoroughly.
When they pulled way later, gasping for air, they smiled at one another and cuddle closer for a few more perfect moments.
Their night was ended by the realization at what time it was. It as five minutes after eleven when they checked they time. Aware of his promise to her mother to get her daughter home by eleven, Inu-yasha sped her home.
"Thanks again, Inu-yasha," Kagome said with a warm smile as they stood at her front door. She kissed him one more time before she disappeared into the house.
Inu-yasha walked down the stairs, into his car, all the way home, and into his fluffy bed with his head in the clouds, thinking about Kagome.
xXx
Something… was very wrong. Inu-yasha knew it even before he opened his eyes to be greeted by the morning light. He had a gut feeling that something was out of place, like a weight was all over his body.
Inu-yasha finally opened his eyes. Although he had been hoping it wasn't, his gut feeling was right. All he saw was white when he opened his eyes. It was all over his body. And one taste told him what it was: whipped cream.
Inu-yasha sat up quickly and threw his legs out of the bed. He dashed to his bathroom and gazed at his reflection. At least he thought it was his reflection. He was covered from head to toe in whipped cream. There wasn't a single feature in his face he could distinguish. He couldn't tell what was hair and what was whipped cream. He didn't even know if he had any clothes on under the thick layer of white.
Inu-yasha breathed deeply several times to calm himself, but it didn't work. "SESSHOMARU!" he shrieked. He didn't know if it was him but he was the first person who came in mind. Inu-yasha wouldn't do anything back to him since Sesshomaru knew his secret about tepeeing Kagome's house and his brother knew that. He wouldn't even risk putting his blackmail picture on the internet for fear of Kagome finding out his secret.
Inu-yasha flew down the hall to his brother's room. The door was locked. Of course. "Sesshomaru, you bastard, open the door!" He banged on the door with his fist.
To his surprise, Sesshomaru actually opened it, looking slightly disoriented after his rude awakening.
"What the fuck! Why did you do this?" Inu-yasha shouted into his face.
It took a while for his brother to figure out where he was and then he saw the damage to Inu-yasha. He laughed loudly in his face. "What the hell happened to you?"
"You happened to me! You know I'm going to get you back for this!" Inu-yasha said it but he knew he couldn't carry out his threat. Even after the night before, he didn't want to risk Kagome knowing his secret. No telling what she would do to him.
Sesshomaru blinked. "Get me back for what? I didn't do that to you, although I should have thought about it."
Inu-yasha prepared to make another threat when he stopped. It wasn't Sesshomaru? If it was, he would have admitted it already, just to see the look on his face, so it couldn't have been him… So who was it?
Realization hit him. Miroku. He still hadn't gotten Inu-yasha back for what he had done to his room. He only just thought about it.
Inu-yasha groaned and went back to his room. There was an Inu-yasha-shaped whole in his bed from where he had been sleeping. There were even cherries here and there. Only his bed was covered but it was enough to make anger burn throughout Inu-yasha's whole body. Yes, he deserved it but he was still mad as hell.
With full intention of yelling Miroku's ear off when he saw him, Inu-yasha showered and got dressed for school.
xXx
Miroku's laughter from Inu-yasha's description of what happened that morning was only just receding when the bell rang for the school day to begin. Inu-yasha thought about Kagome all day and could hardly wait to see her. They agreed to meet after school so they could walk together to her house. He still didn't see her much during school since her classes were still switched but he didn't mind as long as he got to see her after school.
Miroku was able to do the spying on Sesshomaru the previous day so they gave Kagura all the information she needed that morning. Inu-yasha hoped that Sesshomaru would be too busy dealing with her to remember to tell Kagome his secret. Since Kagome was as good as his girlfriend by now, he didn't have to worry about that bet he made with Souta. Inu-yasha had (reluctantly) forgiven Miroku for his prank. There was nothing he could do about it.
Even though he had eliminated many problems, Inu-yasha had a strange gut feeling he was forgetting something very important, and so far, they had always been right. By the end of the day, he still hadn't figured out what was nagging at him.
He soon forgot about it when he met with Kagome. The two were going to walk straight to her house but then detoured and went to Reanu Park instead. Inu-yasha bought the two of them a slurpee and a candy bar each.
"When do you think I'll have to face Naraku again?" Kagome asked suddenly while they were walking back to her house. Inu-yasha had been keeping the conversation light so they wouldn't hit a sore subject but it seemed she wanted to talk about it.
"I don't know," Inu-yasha said truthfully. "I'll be there with you when you do though, so don't worry about it. I'll kick his ass back to Colorado before he puts a hand on you." He said it with his trademark smirk and over-confident attitude which made Kagome laugh.
"But you can't be with me 24/7 you know… What happens if Naraku catches me when you're not around?" Kagome asked with a hint of fear.
"It won't happen," he said confidently. "I always have a gut feeling when something's wrong. If I feel it, I'll be by your side before you can snap your fingers, and even faster if you do." He took a smug slurp of his drink.
His unending confidence made her smile and feel safe. But it made her blush. The thought of Inu-yasha running to her side whenever she wanted sent chills up her spine. To hide her now apparent blush, she joked, "You'd be my little lap dog? I'll work you to the bone." Inu-yasha frowned at the thought. Kagome laughed and added, "If you're good I'll fix you a big bowl of ramen."
Inu-yasha immediately brightened, causing Kagome to laugh again.
They reached her house by now, but Inu-yasha wanted to spend more time with her.
"Can I take you out tomorrow?" he asked a little nervous when they reached her front door. It was Saturday the next day so they'd have the whole day together if they wanted.
Kagome smiled and said, "Of course." Now that Inu-yasha knew her secret, there was no point in avoiding him. Naraku was bound to find her eventually if they were living in the same town, so there was no point in hiding anymore. Besides, if things did take a turn for the worst, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could.
The two had just leaned in for a kiss, the front door swung open and revealed Kagome's little brother.
"Ugh, get a room," Souta complained, thoroughly disgusted. The two jumped and stepped away from each other with blushes hot on their cheeks. They had no reason to hide it but it would be weird, not to mention inappropriate, to kiss in front of her little brother.
Suddenly, Souta looked depressed. "Hey wait, does this mean I can't tell her now?" he whined.
It took him a while but Inu-yasha realized Souta was talking about his secret of tepeeing Kagome's house. He gave him a death stare, an apparent sign that warned him to drop the subject.
Kagome raised an eyebrow at the two of them. They were hiding something from her, she knew it. "What are you talking about?"
Before Inu-yasha could protest, Souta blurted, "I can't tell you that he was the one who tepeed our house, and it's all because you two hooked up before six weeks. We made a bet and I lost. Now I have to keep that secret for forever…" As he realized what he'd done, he trailed off, having seen Inu-yasha's face. It was as murderous as Kagome's.
"He what?" Kagome demanded, flames licking her pupils.
Souta shrunk under their gazes. This was going to get ugly. Without waiting another millisecond, he twirled around and darted into the house. Inu-yasha didn't hesitate to chase after him.
"'I love you' my ass!" Inu-yasha shouted at him, referring to the time Souta had mocked him and said 'I love you big brother'. "You did that on purpose!"
"I swear it was on accident!" Souta pleaded while jumping over the living room couch.
"You don't do something like that 'on accident'!" Inu-yasha yelled while chasing him around the coffee table.
By now Kagome had joined in on the chase. "Inu-yasha, you bastard! You didn't tell me! You lied to me!"
Inu-yasha skidded to a halt and turned to face her. "I didn't lie to you. I just didn't speak up. There's a difference."
"No there isn't!" Kagome shouted. She was inches from his face and trying to look taller to intimidate him but Inu-yasha still had a good few inches on her. "I can't believe you would do that to me!" She stormed out of the living room with Inu-yasha following her, pleading. Souta had already made a speedy get-away and was in his room with the door locked. He had taken full advantage of Inu-yasha's distraction.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it to you," Inu-yasha said as Kagome stomped toward her room. "If I had known it was your house, I wouldn't have done it. I helped clean it up too."
"The point is that you did it," she replied with displeasure. "It doesn't matter whose house it is. It's still a mean thing to do."
Inu-yasha looked helpless. How could he explain to her his 'prank feelings'? Would she even believe him? Doubtful.
"I said I was sorry, doesn't that count for anything?" Inu-yasha asked just as Kagome reached her door.
Kagome turned to face him at the frame of the door. She looked like she was about to shout his ear off and give him a lecture, which was exactly what she intended to do. But of course, his pleading puppy dog face threw her off. Her features softened and she sighed irritably. Once again, he had won.
"Alright, fine," she growled reluctantly. Inu-yasha grinned smugly, proud his charm had done the trick once again, although he had been sure it wouldn't save his ass this time.
Inu-yasha collected her in a warm embrace. Kagome reluctantly hugged him back, muttering something about 'stupid puppy-dog pout' and 'not fair'. She pulled away and then gave him a dark look. "Don't think for a second I'm not going to get you back." She turned to go into her room. Inu-yasha was just about to leave when her words sunk in.
"Hey wait, didn't you just say it was wrong?" he accused. He followed her into her room. She had been heading to her bed but turned to face him.
Kagome nodded. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to do it. Don't worry, I'll get you back. You and Miroku, since I'm sure he helped you."
Normally, Inu-yasha would have denied that last part to save his friend, but he was curious as to what she would do. He wondered if they had more in common than he had thought. He also wanted to know what kinds of pranks she was capable of. Besides, this was his payback for that morning. Now Miroku had to suffer as much as he did… that was assuming Kagome could come up with a good come back.
"What can possibly top what we did to your house?" Inu-yasha asked doubtfully but he really just wanted to know what to expect.
Kagome gave him a look that seemed to ask him if he was really that stupid. "You think I'm going to tell you? You'll just have to wait and see."
Inu-yasha suddenly pulled her closer and gave her a swift but memorable kiss. Kagome smiled when he pulled away. For a second, Inu-yasha thought he had won again and she was going to give him a hint.
"I'm still not telling," she said and sat on her bed with her arms crossed stubbornly, but a smile still on her face.
Inu-yasha frowned and sighed. "It was worth a try," he said sadly as he plopped into her bed next to her, looking defeated. Kagome laughed and gave him a memorable kiss of her own.
xXx
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I'm SUPER late with my update. I'm so sorry guys! I wrote three different versions of this chapter before I decided on one and it still doesn't seem right. And on top of that, I still didn't finish the story like I promised (three times). I was going to but I was already past six-thousand words.
I'm not really happy with this chapter at all, to be honest. Kagome talked and talked and talked. I tried to put Inu-yasha and details in there a little bit so it didn't seem the same but I don't think it worked. I got the story out but I didn't do it with... elegance... not sure if that's the right word but it's close enough.
Anyway, now that I've complained and whined about it, what do you think? Is it as bad as I think? But really, if it is, tell me what I can do. My goal is to become a better writer, not do the same mistakes over and over.
So in the next chapter (and hopefully last.. not going to promise this time though, lol), you have to look forward to what Kagome does to our two favorite boys. And what's this mysterious feeling Inu-yasha is having about forgetting something very important? It isn't that hard to guess... And Inu-yasha will help Kagome get rid of Naraku once and for all... hopefully. Well, hope to see you next chapter!
Hiko18
P.S. One more thing: if anyone has any questions, please ask in a review. I just know I didn't explain Kagome's story as well as most would have liked so if you are still confused in some aspects, I'll answer them in a seperate chapter (which will probably be tacked to the end of the story). Kind of like an FAQ chapter.