A/N: Ohayo, minna! Did you miss me? Yeah, so, computer's still not fixed. But I have it for tonight, so I thought I'd try and crank out another chapter. This chapter is dedicated to Kyome elemental phoenx youkai (why must your name be so long?!), my newest reader/reviewer! Also thank you to boomerboom and mal malonske for the lovely reviews! Don't ask where I got the title for this one, it just jumped up and bit me. Onward!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of it, except for Mr. Announcer-man!

Chapter Fifteen: A Miko, a Hanyou, and a Youkai Walk Into a Bar…

Kouga watched from a safe distance as Inu-Yasha stormed back toward the building, careful to stay downwind from the already irate hanyou. Kagome still stood where he left her, head bowed and shoulders slumped forward. As Kouga approached the distraught girl, the salty smell of her tears hit him like a blow to the face. 'I made her cry?' he asked himself. 'Ie,' he thought, shaking his head. 'That stupid mutt made her cry,' he reassured himself, confidently walking up to her. "Kagome, are you ok?" he asked, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.

Kagome jumped at the sudden pressure, unaware that he had been nearby. 'He probably saw it all,' she thought, ashamed that someone had witnessed her weakness. "How much did you hear?" she asked softly, her head still bowed.

"Ano, well, I saw enough. What has the little puppy so pissed off?" he asked, an unconscious growl vibrating his voice at the word "puppy".

"Oddly enough," Kagome chuckled coldly, lifting her tear-filled eyes to look at him, "you do."

"Me?" Kouga gaped, hoping that his shock was coming across as genuine. He had never been much of an actor, much less a good liar.

"Hai," she nodded, mirthless laughter again spilling from her lips. "He says he saw us kissing. Kissing! So I told him the truth, that we've NEVER kissed, and he called me a liar!" At this last word, unshed tears spilled from her eyes down her cheeks. Kagome threw herself at Kouga, burying her face against his chest. "Oh, Kouga," her voice came out muffled, "why is he such a jackass?"

"I don't know, Kagome," Kouga murmured soothingly, wrapping his arms around her and running fingers through her hair. 'It's working!' he thought, his eyes flashing triumphantly. 'Kikyou was right! I may not have agreed before, but now, with Kagome in my arms, I know it was the right thing to do. She will be mine.' He inhaled deeply through his nose, wanting to imprint her scent on his memory. Underneath the combined scents of vanilla and sakura blossoms that he knew to be Kagome, was a softer, but very noticeable scent of rain and the wind. Unconsciously he growled, recognizing the scent of the hanyou.

Kagome giggled at the protective rumble that went through Kouga's chest, her sobs having subsided to sniffles. His ministrations had calmed her, and she no longer felt sad. She turned her face up to him, a watery smile on her lips. He was looking over her, his eyes focused on some distant object that she could not see. "Kouga," she whispered, finally gaining his attention. "Thank you. You have no idea how bad I needed a hug," she smiled up at him, taking a step back and starting to turn away. Kagome's expression and aura radiated infectious contentment, effectively blocking any rational thought previously in Kouga's mind. As she turned away, he instinctively pulled her back, lowering his head to hers in a soft kiss. They stood like that for a heartbeat before Kagome pulled away, a scowl gracing her formerly peaceful features. "What the hell was that for?" she asked, putting a safe distance between them.

"What the hell was what for?" he practically shouted, attempting to close the gap between them and return her to his arms. 'Where she belongs,' his mind pointed out.

"Gomen, Kouga-kun," Kagome sidestepped the suddenly needy man in front of her. "But I just don't feel for you that way. You're my friend, but nothing more," she whispered, turning and jogging back to the building.

"Chikushou!" Kouga swore, kicking the nearest thing, which happened to be a rather large cement planter. 'Ow, ow, ow, ow,' he thought, resisting the urge to grab his injured appendage and hop around comically on one foot. 'How come I always have to fuck it up?!'

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Inu-Yasha stormed towards the door he had just exited through, the stomping of his feet akin to a toddler's temper tantrum. He was just reaching out to throw open the door when a husky voice spoke his name nearby. He spun around, golden eyes narrowed in suspicion before landing on a familiar figure. "Go away, Kikyou," he growled, turning away from her again.

"But, Inu," she purred, her hand reaching out to gently caress his arm. "I thought we could play, now that you've cut loose that little girl."

Inu-Yasha took a deep breath through his nose, planning to chew out the presupposing woman who had latched onto his arm, but almost choked on the air surrounding him. Kikyou's strong scent of hairspray and raspberries made him want to gag, the intertwining smell of fall leaves tugging at the back of his mind. 'Why do I know this smell? Why do I feel like the combination of her smell and this other one are something I should remember?' He stood still, his golden eyes glazing over as he waited for that flash of memory before shaking his head to clear it. Realizing that Kikyou still clutched his arm, he glared at her over his shoulder, allowing the tip of one fang to show as he growled at her. "Let go, Kikyou," his voice came out low, laced with warning.

"But," her voice quavered slightly, her confidence retreating as fear spiked in her scent.

"But nothing," he replied, his golden eyes rimmed red in anger. "If I didn't want you before, what would make you think that Kagome would have anything to do with me wanting you now? Let go and leave me alone." Slowly, her hand slid from his arm, disappointment rolling off of her as he disappeared through the door in front of him.

"Chikushou," she whispered, bowing her head in defeat.

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"Fucking BASTARD!" Kagome grunted, sweeping Sango's legs out from under her. Kagome had returned to the hotel room after her encounter with Kouga, her grief having morphed into anger. Sango knew the best way to keep Kagome from doing something stupid was to work out that aggression, so she had thrown workout clothes as her friend and pulled her down to the fitness center. After running a couple of miles on the treadmill, the two had decided to spar. Sweat rolled off of them both, darkening the waistband of Sango's grey cotton capri workout pants and plastering Kagome's bangs to her forehead. Rin sat cross-legged on the mat nearby, sucking on a tootsie pop and watching in amusement. Sango stood back up, taking a deep breath before resuming a ready stance.

"That's two more quarters, Kagome," Rin teased. Kagome paused in her attack, narrowed eyes glancing sidelong at her smiling friend before muttering and renewing her attack.

"Kagome's handing out money?" Miroku called, strolling into the room casually with his hands in his pockets, Sesshomaru and Shippo following behind him. "I'll take some!" he said, smiling as he plopped down to sit next to Rin.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked Rin, sitting on her other side. The two sparring girls ignored the three males who had just entered the room, their grunts and shouts punctuating punches, kicks, and blocks.

"Kagome is angry," Rin replied calmly, leaning back into Sesshomaru, who had seated himself behind her.

"Well, duh," Shippo rolled his eyes at her. "But why is she taking it out on Sango?"

"So she doesn't go and 'rip off that son of a bitch's fluffy little ears' apparently," Rin spoke, her fingers making quotes in the air while her eyes never left the two females in front of her.

'More like purify them off,' Sesshomaru mentally smirked, noticing the slight crackling of purple energy in Kagome's aura. "Rin," he nuzzled her cheek, earning a contented hum from the girl. "Where did you say Kagome lives again?"

"The Sunset Shrine," she replied distractedly. "It's about a half hour west of here."

Sesshomaru turned to Shippo's questioning glare, trying to communicate his supposition through his eyes. The kitsune still looked lost, however; until both youkai had their attention drawn by their friend to their left. "She's a miko," Miroku breathed, his eyes wide and unblinking as he watched Kagome fight.

"Ano, Kagome!" Rin called out, Miroku's statement having snapped her out of her daze. Sure enough, Kagome's aura was becoming stronger and more visible, purple energy crackling lightly around her. 'I have GOT to learn to pay closer attention!' Rin silently berated herself. "I think it's time we go and do some meditation!" the younger girl shouted, springing up from her place on the floor.

Kagome and Sango paused, turning to the younger girl. "Hai, Rin-chan," Kagome nodded, dropping her fighter's stance. "I believe you are correct." With that, the girls linked arms and skipped out of the room.

"How come you didn't tell us Kagome is a miko?" Miroku turned to Sango, who was toweling the sweat off of her brow.

Sango paused almost imperceptibly, schooling her features to show no emotion. "A miko, Miroku? Kagome? I'm not sure what you're talking about," she said, turning away and walking toward the drinking fountain.

"Ningen," Sesshomaru's cold and calculating voice rang through the room, although he didn't shout, effectively halting Sango's forward progression.

"Hai?" her voice came out husky, and she refused to turn around, afraid to look in the youkai's eyes.

"Do not lie to this Sesshomaru. I can smell your lies, as well as your apprehension. Why did you not inform us of your friend's powers?"

Sango slowly turned around to face the three men, her eyes trained on the mat below her feet. "Because it wasn't important," she breathed.

"Not important!" Shippo squeaked, hopping up and racing toward her. "She could have purified us all if she wanted to! We trusted you with our true natures, how come you didn't return the favor?!"

"Shippo has a point, Sango," Miroku's voice surprised her, causing her to look up. He now stood behind the kitsune, a hand resting on the younger boy's shoulder. "She should have said something right away."

"She was afraid you all would be nervous or wary of her, and she didn't want to distance herself from you. Trust me, Kagome has excellent control over her powers, and she has never accidentally purified anyone, even in an extreme rage!"

"True, otherwise my idiotic half-brother and that asinine wolf would both be piles of ash by now," Sesshomaru stated, surprising his friends.

"Wolf?" Sango asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Yeah, I smelt him, too. But not at dinner, just now, and she was angry at them both. I wonder what Kouga did?" Shippo spoke to Sesshomaru.

"Kouga's a wolf?" Sango questioned again, turning her gaze to Miroku as the two youkai had decided to ignore her.

"Which means the ningen did not kiss the ookami, and that the hanyou truly is an idiot," Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Hai," Miroku sighed, turning to Sango. "Yet another youkai."

"We should go yell at him?" Shippo asked the older youkai.

"I guess that would explain the growling Kagome was talking about," Sango muttered, digesting what she was hearing.

"I suppose," Sesshomaru sighed, turning toward the exit, Shippo bouncing in his wake.

"Growling?" Miroku asked, ignoring the exit of his friends.

"Hai. Kagome-chan said that after Inu-Yasha stormed off, Kouga came up and comforted her. But then he kissed her, and she's just not interested so she got all angry at him, too."

"I see," Miroku replied, a contemplative hand to his chin. "Sango-chan," he reached out to take her hand, causing a flush to creep up her cheeks. "Assuming we can convince our hot-headed friend that he has made a mistake, is there a way you recommend for him to apologize?"

"Hmm," Sango thought, the forefinger of her free hand tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You made it to the finals, right?"

"Hai. I saw that you made it as well. Congratulations," Miroku nodded to her.

Sango waved her hand in the air, dismissing his congratulations as a mischievous glimmer shone in her eyes. "Well, there is this song that Kagome has always loved..." Miroku leaned in, and they whispered back and forth, plotting for their stubborn friends.

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Inu-Yasha sat on the floor of his hotel room, scowling as he angrily strummed his guitar. "Fucking women," he muttered. "Can't trust a damn one."

"Would you cease your sulking, hanyou?" Sesshomaru spoke, bursting through the door.

"Go away, Fluffy. I'm not in the mood for your shit," Inu-Yasha replied, glaring up at the youkai in front of him.

"Tough. You're going to listen to us whether you like it or not!" Shippo yipped, bouncing on the foot of the bed nearby.

"The hell I am," Inu-Yasha replied, pushing off the ground with one hand and gripping the neck of his guitar in the other.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, pushing the hanyou back to the floor. "You are and you will. Stop being so insolent for once."

"Yeah!" Shippo chimed in, blushing as two sets of golden eyes glared at him. "Ano, so, when you THOUGHT you saw Kagome kissing Kouga," Inu-Yasha growled, causing Shippo to gulp before continuing, "Did you bother to smell her?"

The rumble in Inu-Yasha's chest stopped, his head tilted as he tried to remember. "I remember all I could pick up was the fucking smell of the damn fall leaves! There was another scent there, but it was so weak. The wimpy wolf's scent totally overpowered it!"

"Well, then did you think to smell her at dinner? Or during your confrontation outside?" Sesshomaru again rolled his eyes at his half-brother's idiocy.

"Ano… yeah! Yeah I did! Why?" Inu-Yasha again tilted his head in confusion.

'Kami-sama, give me strength,' Sesshomaru silently prayed. "Did you smell the wolf on her at that time?"

Inu-Yasha's expression once again turned thoughtful, his eyes staring intently at the wall without seeing it. Suddenly realization hit him, his jaw dropping open.

Shippo squealed in delight, bouncing more exuberantly on the bed. "Inu-Yasha no baka," he shook his head at his friend seated nearby on the floor.

"And you call yourself an inu youkai," Sesshomaru huffed indignantly. "Pathetic. Maybe your ningen half is stronger after all. You certainly throw a tantrum like one," he continued to bait him, a smirk pulling up the corner of his mouth as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Now what do I do?" Inu-Yasha muttered, hanging his head. "I called her a liar. She's never going to forgive me for that."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Miroku smiled, closing the door behind him.

"Nani? You know a way to make Kagome forgive Inu-Yasha?" Shippo asked incredulously.

"Hai, Sango-chan told me," he replied, hooking up his mp3 player to the boom box on the dresser nearby. "This is the song we're going to perform for the finals tomorrow."

A/N: Whew. I'm sleepy, so I think I'll end it there for tonight. Sooooo sleepy. Anywhoodles, hope you enjoyed the latest installation of ONNAAU! R&R, onegai?! Ja ne, minna!