CHAPTER 6:
Find Me
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InuYasha had been walking around for a good thirty minutes now. This school was old and huge. The halls connecting the buildings were open-aired, with short walls creating a barrier. There were a lot of large trees all over the campus as well. He was looking for the library. He needed to figure out which classes he would be taking at this school. He would be a show off in either one as he had been in school for a good hundred years, give or take a few.
Despite the awkward encounter in the hall previously that day, the rest had been pretty dull and normal.
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As he turned a corner, the cooling breeze carried a familiar scent to his nose; the slightest smell of strawberries. He stood for a moment, taking it in with a deep breath. He allowed the scent to spread the static through him; allowing the feeling to engulf him, cutting him off from the mess she was creating in his life…
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'Dammit! What is this girl doing to me,' he was getting more annoyed with himself and his utter lack of self-control.
He tried thinking of her, the girl from fifty years ago… The one that gave him these same feelings. Kagome does look a lot like she did. Their personalities were very different though. These buried thoughts and memories was stirring painfully in his chest and gut. He could not understand why he would react like this, to this girl, Kagome, after all this time. He had thought she was his soul mate… and he had lost her all those years ago.
'So why am I feeling like this?' he pressed his fingers into his eye lids, the slight pang of pain a welcomed distraction.
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His eyes found her form as soon as he turned the corner; she was half leaning against an old tree trunk. She was deep in thought, clutching a paper and glaring at it. He chuckled to himself.
She was biting her lip, it stirred the static back to life. His tongue involuntarily traced his upper lip softly, triggering the memory of her sweet blood on his tongue. The taste echoed through his being like a sudden electrical bolt. She tasted so good. Not just her blood, but her lips themselves… They were soft, regardless of being slightly cracked from licking them so often. The feeling of them against his own was haunting.
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Instantly, and against his will, the memory of how their lips moved together, hot and hungry, only stopping for breaths; how they reacted to each other, they were in perfect sync. Her mouth, her tongue, it was the softest thing he ever felt. The sweetest taste. Her skin came in a close second. She felt like velvet under his fingertips. Having her stretch, arching her back; remembering her trembling body beneath him. The moment when she caught him completely off guard by raising her hips into his own… so willingly…
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His member was getting hard, straining against his dark jeans. He was getting uncomfortably hot. He had never gone without a sating before, and it was obviously proving to be quite bothersome.
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But he knew he would have to stay away from her. Especially since she did get away. He knew she would not tell anyone about what had happened or of what he was; but he knew these stirring, growing feelings for her would never result in anything good – not after what had happened those fifty years ago. The pang in his chest helped relaxed his muscles.
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Kagome sat up straight, stretching out her aching back. Sighing audibly, she put the paper on the ground in front of her. She still had to choose two electives and she could not decide on even one.
She growled softly in annoyance; feeling as if the paper was mocking her.
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She decided to spend her off period under an old tree near the library door. She loved her school and would miss it. The library was an enormous building, standing on its own.
Sighing again, she continued staring at the paper, willing it to give her some answers; as her master plan had failed her.
The principal himself suggested she takes science, but that would not benefit her as to her prearranged future. She would have to take over the family business someday soon.
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Then she saw him.
"InuYasha," she sighed his name to herself,
He stopped walking and looked over towards her,
'Did he hear me?' she was still staring bluntly when she saw him sigh,
He turned and headed towards her, making her heart leap into her throat.
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"Hey, Kagome, right?" he asked, coaxing his head to the side, a soft smile on his lips,
"Uh, yeah, that's me" she smiled back at him,
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Kagome looked at him for the first time. Her eyes trailed up his very fancy, dark jeans. A red short-sleeved shirt sat slightly loose over his chest. His black boots were freshly polished, giving off the familiar earthy smell. She had not noticed just how very tall he was… Or how handsome – he was very handsome.
Kagome could feel the blush creep into her cheeks as she realized he was allowing her to study him. His small smile growing even more cocky as her eyes resumed its path.
His hair was neater than their first encounters, and the purple streaks on his high cheekbones where gone. His nails also seemed shorter and well looked after.
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A familiar tingle sprouted at her hips. She remembered those large hands on her naked skin. And now looking at him towering over her made her recall all the details about that night, two weeks ago.
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"Are you alright?" his cocky grin turned up at one corner of his mouth,
this made her blush deepen, and he, himself, realizing what had just happened, was growing uncomfortable,
Especially with her changing scent betraying her thoughts.
'Wait, I am blushing?´
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"Oh yes, definitely," she looked down and fixed her eyes on his boots,
"So, what classes have you got?" he sat down swiftly next to her, reaching to take her schedule,
She pulled the paper out of his reach,
"I am more than competent of telling you what classes I have," she did not want him seeing her choices,
"I want to see your schedule," he reached for it again, and she leaned away, trying to keep it out of his long reach,
"Bugger off, will you? I'll tell you,"
"Kagome, give me your schedule,"
"Make me!"
"Alright then," with his previous grin on his face he launched for it, not anticipating that the paper was a little farther out of his reach than he thought,
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He ended up close to Kagome… WAY too close.
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He was lying halfway on top of her, his one arm next to her head, and the other hand pinning her paper-clutching hand into the grass. He could see Kagome swallowing hard, opening her mouth slightly to breathe. One of his legs ended up between her thighs, pressing at the apex between them. The smell hit him almost as hard as the heat pooling at said apex. He could feel her rapid breathing on his face. His eyes found her bottom lip, trapped between her teeth; they released the reddening lip. Her soft, pink tongue trailed across her lips.
His own heart was ringing in his ears. But his eyes lifted back to hers as he felt her free hand moving across his forearm, up to his wrist where it stopped.
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Her hand was slightly warmer against his skin. He studied her grey eyes. The smallest of brown flecks lay in hidden wait. He could feel his stomach flutter to life. Her eyes stayed wide, and she swallowed again. His silver strands mixed into the fan of her black locks spread across the grass.
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After what felt like forever, being lost in those big, grey and dull brown eyes, he cleared his throat and sat up, taking the page with him.
"Are you here for kicks? This is rather empty," she could hear his voice was shaky and he coughed to clear his throat,
"I, uhhh," she remained on her back, her whole body still jell-o,
"I need to pick two more electives," she was attempting to calm her breathing,
"Oh, I see," his eyes where fixed on the paper,
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InuYasha could not bear to look at her; after this reaction to their contact in his 'human' form, he knew he would definitely have to stay away from her. He had feelings and desires stirring within himself that he knew he could never act upon.
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Kagome sat up slowly, staying on her elbows.
"InuYasha," he almost jumped to his feet at her whisper,
Her saying his name like that was not helping,
"Are you all right?" she reached for his arm, but he pulled out of her reach and got up,
"We can't do this," he growled at her,
"We are not doing anything?" she was surprised at the pain running through her chest,
"We were just messing around and it-"
"Bye, Kagome,"
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And he left.
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The sharp sound rang through the foyer of the Higurashi household. Kagome stood still, holding onto her cheek – it came in quite hard, and it stung like crazy, but she knew this time would not leave a bruise.
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"I am not asking you again," Hojo's voice was hollow and cold, reflecting his eyes, "You are misundersta-" pain ran across her skin again,
"Don't lie to me!" he was angrier than she realized,
"I saw you!" he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand,
"He's not here a full day and you're…" he turned and started pacing,
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Kagome had no idea that her incident with InuYasha was witnessed by anyone, especially Hojo. He never came to the library – how did he even know she would be there?
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"Hojo, calm down," she stood her ground, she could feel her cheek warming and turning red,
"This is all a misunderstanding," she flinched when he turned around, but his hands did not make a move towards her again,
"We wanted to have a look at a paper and I pulled it away and-"
She stopped when he took a step closer, and another, and another,
She could feel his breath on her face, but she would not give in to him. She did not do anything wrong; she hoped,
"He was on top of you," his voice was a dangerous whisper,
"He was on top of you and you did not make a move to get him off," his neck was turning red,
"Just like in the hallway, he was holding you, pressing your bodies together and you did nothing. NOTHING!" Kagome anticipated another slap,
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But it did not come…
The sound that followed was that of Hojo's phone ringing in his pocket.
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He turned away from her, answering it, sounding completely normal again. He walked into another room, and her hand found the stinging skin on her cheek. Kagome was pondering whether they still had aqueous cream somewhere in the house when he came back.
"Remind your mother of the function in the next two weeks," he spat and left.
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Kagome flung herself onto her bed. She did not want to be here anymore. She wished that InuYasha would have just ended her life two weeks earlier; after having her of course…
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Her thoughts turned darker was she traced a faint line on her wrist.
She had told Sango that she wasn't sure why she had done it.
But in moments like this, not knowing where she was at in her life,
Realizing that she was standing in the back, seeing her life, but not living it herself, she knew exactly why.
She was so tired of waiting … waiting for what exactly, she could not say.
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A dangerous thought crept into her mind, a thought about the feel of strong, tensing muscles arms against her body as they walked into each other in the hallway at school. Thoughts about a tall - maybe a head and a half taller than her – young man. His hands; big and strong. Every muscle firm and trained.
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She blushed, shaking herself from her turning thoughts. Her thoughts would trail to every time their bodies made contact; whether it was with sexual intent like at her house, or an innocent touch like in the hallway or an accident like on the lawn under the tree. How his manhood would press into her; hardening just for her.
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She could only imagine what type of lover he would be. Would he be rough and hard like his demeanour, or soft and sensual, like the caresses to her cheek that one time? Or a bit of both?
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Kagome felt like screaming. She rolled onto her side, pressing her face into the pillow.
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'Maybe if I kept waiting in line, I could find what I have been chasing after in my books,' she rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling,
With Hojo, those few years ago, she felt like she was shooting for the skies, but all se was, was stuck on the ground, so why try living when she knew she was just going to fall down?
With a loud sigh, she got up and walked over to her dresser.
"Oh crap," she traced her cheek bone,
"This might actually bruise,"
Groaning, she took her pot of cream and headed towards the kitchen.
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Kagome could smell Kaede was busy in the kitchen, even before she reached it. It smelt amazing, and as she entered, Kaede's old eyes fell on her. They greeted politely as always, but Kagome did not look at the old woman. Kaede knew why Kagome was hiding her face. She could not handle Kagome being smacked around. But sadly, she had no say in their affairs, or any affairs. She was just the staff, a helper.
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"Please tell me we have turmeric?" Kagome dug in the back of an older cupboard,
One Kaede had moved into the kitchen when she started working for the Higurashi family.
She had been the one to teach Kagome about the healing energies of herbs.
She had also gotten the young man, Jinenji, a job keeping the greenhouse and edible plants.
Jinenji was always shy around Kagome, always willing to share his knowledge, no matter how shy he was.
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"Yes miss, we do. Fresh from the bazaar," Kaede continued to busy herself at the pots,
Kagome finally found the double cooker conversion she had created and dumped a big wallop of cream into it. She added two tablespoons of turmeric and a few drops of Vitamin E oil. Her hands made quick work of some other bottles and lids. Finally she closed it off and put it on the stove. She set three timers on her phone and got onto the kitchen counter; swinging her legs absentmindedly.
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A moment of complete silence passed before the first timer went off. Kagome turned the stove down.
"You are getting quite good at that," Kaede started the small talk; attempting to drone out the heavy silence.
"Well, I do have two brilliant teachers," she smiled at the older woman,
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Kagome studied Kaede's again frame. She was starting to hunch more, she was also starting to tilt her head more to the left when she was working. Kagome guessed it was her right eye weakening too much, and her body adjusting naturally. Their conversation never stayed on one topic for too long.
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They were discussing possible electives when Mrs. Higurashi entered the kitchen.
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Kagome noticed the lines around her eyes had deepened drastically over the years. The stress of losing her husband and almost the business was taking its toll, and then adding all the work she was doing by herself.
Sota was off at some very expensive boarding school. They promised their program was excellent for a young growing boy, especially one that started acting up after his father's untimely death.
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Kagome, at least, tried to help her mother where ever she could. She was even going to business school and taking history on the side to take over the museum soon.
Maybe that was what she was hoping to find in her life. Some late calling to her predetermined future.
It had always been her grandfather and father's dream to own a museum and house a collection of the most valuable and rare antiques and artifacts that it currently did. Their collections - dating from ages involving royalties, spiritual artefacts, as well as, rare renaissance artists - was renowned.
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As thrilling as all of this was, Kagome did not want that kind of life; especially if it involved being married to Hojo. She would have rather studied herbal medicines or nursing. Something that would still allow her to have a family… That was something she has wished for… But, Kagome Higurashi knew that she was stuck on the ground, and would never be able to shoot for the sky. All she would do, would be crashing down. Falling down hard, so why even try?
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As the second timer went off, Kaede poured a glass of wine for Mrs. Higurashi and attempted at small talk with her employer. She always tried to avoid Mrs. Higurashi seeing Kagome's swollen cheeks and bruises.
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"Something smells amazing," Kagome's mother took a long sip of her wine, swirling the liquid inside the glass while she swallowed,
"And it is not the wine,"
"Just something I'm cooking up. Kaede showed me," Kagome placed the pot onto a cooling rack,
"All right dear," her mother was too exhausted to look up, rings evident under her wrinkling eyes,
Kagome ran out the kitchen and up to her bedroom as fast as she could.
She closed the door behind her. She knew Kaede would bring up her infusion as soon as it was cooled enough to be skin friendly.
She did not want her mother to see her face… Not tonight…
She did not have the energy to try and think of a stupid excuse of clumsiness.
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She plopped down onto the bed again, thinking about the day. There was definitely something different going on between InuYasha and herself. She felt it every time they touched each other. It was a sensation she has never felt before; even in the beginning between her and Hojo, it was nothing like this.
This was magical, a strange type of magic, but definitely magical.
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… Maybe she was not ready to let go yet?
Or did she know that this would just be something else to make her fall…
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