Disclaimer: The day I own Inuyasha is the day our world is at peace with one another. It's gonna be a while x.x

Bankotsu and Kagome: Linked by Fate

Chapter 3: Day 2

The Sun had long arisen above the ground by now, and the two were still asleep. Day 2 had begun and they were still sleeping. Nice.

Kagome lay leaned on Bankotsu still with his arm around her. She dreamlessly slept until the Sun pierced through a crack in the wall and shot her right in the eye. Her eyes fluttered open and she quickly squinted them from the bright rays. She looked over to her left, catching sight of the resting Bankotsu that she lay against. She blushed slightly and sat straight up, unhooking his arm from around her. But then something caught her attention. She seemed even closer to him now. She looked down hesitantly at the mystical chain and counted the links. Four left. "Bankotsu! Bankotsu look!" she yelled in a whisper, shaking him by the shoulder.

Bankotsu started to stir with a frustrated face that he was being awaken. "What is it?" he asked with huge annoyance clearly written in his tone.

"The chain! It's shorter!"

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow at this and lifted his right hand, noticing the shortness. "Damn, seems like the old hag wasn't lying," he huffed, standing up and pulling Kagome up with him in the process. "Let's go, we're going to see another brother of mine."

"Oh? What can he do?"

"His name is Mukotsu and he specializes in poison. I'm hoping he can make something to burn this wretched thing off."

((Suppose you're wondering why the Band of Seven is so scattered, right? Well, in a hunt for the jewel shards, they've each divided up the territory of Japan and planned on meeting again soon.))

"Hey! Mukotsu!" Bankotsu shouted as he spotted the back of a short man, unmistakably Mukotsu.

Mukotsu turned around and stared into the distance for a moment, trying to see who was calling him. He then spotted Bankotsu alongside a remarkably beautiful woman. Mukotsu's face was covered with a cloth and the only visible part was his eyes. He says the ugliness of his face is the reason why all women hate him, and he's had a habit of capturing and paralyzing women so they were forced to be by him. "Hello Big Brother," he greeted and walked to where the two stood.

Bankotsu was aware of his comrade's insecurities and how he chose to deal with them, however he hadn't seemed to care until now. "I need a favor,"

"As do I, Big Brother,"

"Hm?" Bankotsu asked.

"That girl--"

"No." he simply butted in and then continued speaking. "I need you to create a poison of some sort that can burn through anything,"

Mukotsu stared at him deviously. "Oh, planning on torturing someone, ay?" he inquired sinisterly. "I'll get to work," he added and then soon after took out all of his elements for various amounts of poison. He sat on the ground and started to mix them together.

Bankotsu and Kagome, too, sat on the ground and stared at Mukotsu as he went to work. Bankotsu then laid back, but at the position, Kagome's arm wasn't pulled too far from her body.

Mukotsu's glanced up at Kagome, his eyes filled with lust. He did if often; he'd continue mixing and then look up to eye her, then continue mixing again.

Kagome cringed at the looks he gave her and scooted as close as she could to Bankotsu without actually sitting on him. That guy was creepy.

"Mukotsu, stop it before I rip your eyes out. You won't have much of a way to shoot glares at her then, will you?" Bankotsu asked, his eyes were closed but he seemed to know everything that was going on.

Mukotu's shoulders tightened and he nodded uneasily. "I'm done, Big Brother,"

Bankotsu sat up with a smirk and took the small container which held the acidic poison. "Hm, if it can burn through anything, why hasn't it burned through this?"

Mukotsu chuckled and replied, "I stole it from a Monk. It's a spiritual gourd capable of holding any substance."

"Alright thanks, keep searching for the jewel shards and follow the schedule as planned." Bankotsu ordered and turned around to walk off.

Kagome, too, turned around but felt something squeeze her bottom and quickly jumped next to Bankotsu.

"Alright, let's try it and hope it works," Bankotsu said as they had took seat under a normal-size tree deep within the heart of the woods. He pulled the cap that plugged the gourd's mouth out and pulled his wrist toward him (Kagome doing the same) so the chain's length was at its fullest. He slowly poured it on the chain with his free hand. It went straight through it, as if it weren't even there.

Kagome sighed, "Figures."

"Let's go, we can't waist our time sitting around all day," Bankotsu said, frustrated, and stood up, pulling Kagome up with him. He started to walk.

"Listen, I don't think others can help us."

"You've said that already," Bankotsu said. Why wouldn't she just shut up? Can't she see he wasn't in the best mood?

"Then why haven't you listened!" Kagome asked, raising her voice as she walked along side of him.

"Because we have to try everything possible," Bankotsu replied through grounded teeth, trying to contain his anger.

"Well I think maybe we should just--" Kagome was interrupted by having the wind knocked out of her.

Bankotsu swung his right arm, swinging her by the chain and slamming the miko against the tree, using his chained arm to press against her chest so that her back was pinned to the trunk. "Listen, you are not in charge here. What I say goes, and if you don't like it, then I guess I will have to make you like it. Now be a good--" he paused and noticed her eyes were closed. 'Damn, I hit her harder than I thought,' he thought to himself and removed his pinning arm from her. She fell limply but he caught her before she could fall face-first onto the ground. He sighed and scooped her up bridal style. Finally! Some peace and quiet. He started walking down the narrow pathway, leaves crunching beneath his feet as it was the beginning of Autumn. He looked down at Kagome's frail figure, limply laying in his arms. He couldn't help but stare at her face. He didn't realize how beautiful she was until now. She reminded him of a flower, floating down after it had fallen off the tree and into the cup of his hand.

Only minutes later, Kagome awoke and her eyes flashed open. She could feel her body moving up and down as Bankotsu walked at a steady pace. She looked up at him, the last thing she remembered was feeling a pull on her wrists.

Bankotsu didn't look down at her, he seemed to be staring off into the never ending trees that awaited them. "I'm sorry," he said, his tone a bit cold, but sincere none-the-less.

"Sorry?" she asked, trying to think back. All she could remember was a strong tug on her wrist, and the wind pushing against her as she flew through air. "It's alright," she said, amazed that he even apologized about it. She then soon blushed as her senses became fully clear now and she noticed she was being carried.

"Just rest, it'll be a while before we reach Jakotsu," he said. He had to say something to get her to stay. He didn't want her warmth against him to cease.

Kagome wanted to say something along the lines of 'No, I'm okay' but she was tired...And she liked the feel of him having his arms under her, holding her up. She felt safe and warm inside. So, she nodded and closed her eyes, not even taking notice to the fact she was smiling slightly.

He looked down at her again and a feeling flashed through him he hadn't felt before. It felt like an awkward lust...But not only a lust for her body, just simply for her.

After a few hours had passed, he still had seen no sign of Jakotsu until:

"Oh, oh! Big Brother over here!" waved the feminine male as he made his way over to Bankotsu. He stared strangely at the girl. "Who is that?" he asked curiously.

"Her name is Kagome, and I need you to do something for me." Bankotsu said softly, not really wanting to wake the sleeping girl but knew he must. He shook her lightly and her eyes slowly opened.

She groaned, being awakened from a very nice and deep sleep. She rubbed her head softly as Bankotsu sat her down and stared at the Band member before her. He was...Absolutely adorable! Jakotsu looked like a lost puppy when his eyes sparkled and his bottom lip stuck out.

Jakotsu pouted, "What is it?" he sighed, feeling a bit lazy.

"I need you to slice right between my right wrist and her left as if something were there."

"But there's not,"

"Yes, I know."

"Well if you know then why would I cut right there?"

"Because I told you to! So just pretend!"

"Pretend? Okay, Big Brother" Jakotsu said. All of the Band of Seven members knew better than to disagree with Bankotsu's commands, no matter how strange they might have been. Jakotsu raised his sword up as the two stood as far apart as the could, trying to stretch out the chain.

"If you cut my arm off, I'll kill you," Bankotsu joked with a smirk.

Jakotsu swung down his sword and it extended like a snake. It was amazing, such a sword had never been seen before by Kagome's eyes and she stood in awe, also in fear of her arm being severed.

Alas, Jakotsu's aim was true and the sword right through the open space in which he saw nothing. "Did I get it? Did I get it?" Jakotsu asked excitedly, loving the pretend game that they were playing.

Bankotsu sighed as the chain still remained, the sword seeming to go straight through it as if it weren't even there. "Yeah, you got it," he sighed and turned around, tugging at Kagome to follow.

Bankotsu punched his hand into a tree as the Sun had long ago set. "God damn it! We've only got three fucking days left! THREE. When I find that God damn bitch I'm gonna--" he sighed. "Do absolutely nothing because she's a freaking spirit. DAMN IT!" he yelled, frustration growing on him as it didn't hit them that they only had a short amount of time left. And he was starting to believe Kagome on the fact no one else could help them. "What the Hell are we supposed to do?" he continued to yell at no one as his left fist was still balled up and punched into the tree. He pulled it out, bark falling from where he hit it, and sighed again. He looked to Kagome who was staring at him, looking like she was just itching to say it. "Go ahead, say it."

"Say what?" Kagome asked, looking at him with mixed emotions of fear and pity toward him.

"'I told you so.' You were right, I was wrong. So just go ahead and say it,"

"We don't have time to be fighting over petty things like that. We need to strategize and come up with a few possible plans to get this thing off,"

"Got any bright ideas?"

"Well, yes, actually." Kagome said, madly blushing and shades of deep red filling her cheeks as she pushed her index fingers back and forth together.

"Well what is it?" he asked, not doing well to contain the excitement in his voice.

"Well, in most fairy tales...A spell is broken when...You know..." she trailed off uneasily.

"No, I don't know. And what's a fairy tale?"

Sweat started to pour out of her pores as she jerked her eyes around nervously. "Well, you know, the guy and the girl..They," she started and then muttered extremely softly "kiss,"

"Huh? I didn't quite catch the last part," he said and stared down at her, confused at why she was reacting so embarrassed.

"They kiss," she spoke up a bit louder.

Bankotsu looked at her like she had just grown wings and croaked like a frog. Where the Hell did she get that idea? "Oh, you got the hots for me, don't ya?" he asked with a small snicker.

"N-No! But it happens in stories and it's always the way!"

Bankotsu stared down at her with his infamous smirk, his eyes latching onto her chocolate brown ones. They were deep pools and almost mesmerizing, and he soon found himself unable to look away. "This is...Just to see if it'll break the chain, nothing else," he explained, his voice low and soothing.

"R-Right," Kagome said, the red not fading from her soft cheeks. She saw him lean in closer and her heart started to thud faster and faster, pounding like a bass drum. She felt a warm sensation overcome her body, getting hot chills all over. Her hands started to shake and her palms became sweaty.

Bankotsu placed both of his hands around her upper arms, causing her right hand to be raised up by the chain. He leaned in just close enough so their breaths mixed with each other's. His tongue was yearning to see what she tasted like. Probably roses he thought, as she reminded him of one often. Kagome had hesitantly leaned in a bit further, and their lips brushed softly. She had, although, immediately after pulled back just a hair so their lips weren't touching anymore and he needed more than just a slight touch. He leaned in closer and captured her mouth, kissing her passionately.

Kagome's eyes widened a little by his sudden action, but then slid shut and she felt lost in his presence. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue access. She never imagined kissing such a rough and tough kind of guy like him.

Their tongues danced around each other, licking and sliding across each side of the other's. They curled around each other, and the tongues would've hugged and locked on to the one another had they not been so wet. So tasty. So...Perfect. It felt so right and neither one wanted to pull away, but Kagome did the honors. She leaned back and broke the kiss. They both stared at each other for what seemed to be years, basking in the other one's very presence. They then both adverted their gaze down to the chain and their eyes lit up in shock.

The chain glowed and it broke in half. A chain link faded off into the nothingness and then the chain reconnected again.

"It's Day 3, so the second link has faded," Kagome explained with saddened eyes.

They were now that much closer, only having three links in between cuffs. Great.

Bankotsu's eye's widened and he refrained from blinking. A small noise, a whimper perhaps, came from his mouth and then followed by slight wincing. He fell forward onto Kagome.

Kagome's POV:

I stared at Bankotsu awkwardly, noticing something was the matter. His eyes were in shock and his face seemed like the life was being drained from him as he turned extremely pale. I heard small cries and winces coming from him and the next thing I knew, he slowly fell forward onto me. I was pushed back slightly by how heavy he was, but used all my might to hold him up. What was wrong with him? I had my free hand around his back and his head was over my shoulder. I lowered to my knees so we could both be sitting, then I'd be able to figure out what was wrong with him. I felt something cold and wet on my left hand which was on his backside. I leaned forward slightly and turned my hand; the only thing I saw was it drenched in dark, red blood.

Author's Note: Ohhh, cliffy! Okay, so apparently this length is fine, so I'll be writing my chapters longer now. Thanks everybody for the wonderful suggestions and reviews! I really do appreciate them -Ami