Chapter Ten

The Kill

"What if I fell to the floor?

Couldn't take this anymore.

What would you do?"

Amy signed on to Myspace and talked to Kouga for awhile that morning. She hadn't talked to Sesshoumaru at all, and didn't know if she really wanted to. Kouga had made her morning pleasant, and she wasn't about to let Sesshoumaru ruin that.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar out of the pantry. She wasn't that hungry, but it was something to keep her in the kitchen without any suspicions. Sesshoumaru was sitting in the living room, regretfully in his boxers, and flipping through channels. She wanted to growl, but saved herself the look of amusement from him. He glanced over at her only briefly before standing and walking in the kitchen, almost blocking the way out.

"So, you and Kouga?" He asked so casually as though he were talking about the weather.

"There's nothing going on, and if there was it would be none of your business."

"Well, you seem happy is all."

"Happy?" She questioned, mildly shocked. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "You should be with him..." His voice trailed.

She felt the heat in her cheeks as she took a small bite of her breakfast. "So, how are you and... Kikyo?"

He said nothing, simply walked over to the fridge, and grabbed a soda. Truthfully, they weren't doing so well. Kikyo was... a whore. A lying and cheating whore. She was beautiful, yes. When he first met her, he had saw something good, something unlike anyone. He had almost seen something like Amy in her. That wasn't the case, though.

"Well?"

"Great." He lied, and tried to make his voice as believable as possible.

"I'm going over to Kouga's in a little, so, don't worry about me." She smiled.

"I'm always concerned about you, that won't change."

Her breath felt trapped somewhere in the middle of her throat, as she threw away the half-eaten breakfast.

"I've never really thought about it like that before, but I'm always afraid that something is going to happen to you." He walked over to the counter and leaned against it.

"You really shouldn't." She hesitated before she walked over to stand beside him. He turned to face her, and pulled her into his arms. "Sesshoumaru..." She said softly, and reveled in the feel of her cheek against his chest.

"If he hurts you... if he touches you... tell me, because I won't hesitate to kill him. I did with Inuyasha, and I saw what happened... but I won't let you get hurt like that again."

She felt him rest his chin gently on her forehead. "You're talking about Kouga, aren't you?"

He nodded.

"Well, there's nothing going on there. We're just friends for right now. I could see myself loving him, but... I'm just so sick and tired of being hurt and alone."

"I've been here..." He let go of her to look into her blue eyes, and as he stared he pushed a strand of ebony hair that had fallen when they parted behind her ear.

"But... you have Kikyo. Our friendship can't be the same ever again because you'll have to be there for her more." She swallowed hard. "It's alright though, because you're happy."

A lump settled at the bottom of his throat. He thought himself too strong for crying, but in front of her... he could. She understood everything. Every inch of his bruised and battered heart and soul she had touched, explored, and found places that not even he knew existed.

He kept the tears from coming by biting his tongue, and then hardly forced a smile. "Yeah... You should get going to Kouga's, huh?"

"Yeah." She walked out of the kitchen, and then upstairs to change out of her jammies.

She reached her room while thinking to herself of why she felt so out of place. So much like she didn't belong where she was. It was a little heart-wrenching. She pulled her messy hair up and changed. She put on her make-up and looked at the dark bags below her eyes. She really hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. Most nights she would just stare up at the ceiling, and think about her life. A life that she wasn't happy in and didn't want.

She grabbed her bag and walked downstairs. She reached the door, looked at Sesshoumaru, and sighed. "Are you going to sit around like that all day?"

"Maybe... it depends on if Kikyo calls."

She rolled her eyes, "I'll see you later, Sesshy." She opened the door and then left.

—

Kikyo didn't call. She was more than likely out being... herself. He flipped his phone open to see what time it was. It was nearly one and he hadn't even bothered to change out of his boxers until then. He grabbed a pair of levis and his Chiodos tee. He vaguely wondered what Amy was doing in that moment. Probably walking down the sidewalks to Kouga's and not watching where she's going like always. She was the most clumsiest person that he'd ever met. Always running into everything. She sometimes even tripped over her own two feet. It was pretty funny to - I'm thinking about her again! He always did that. No matter where he was he'd find himself lost in thought. Mostly of Amy, and that bothered him. A lot.

—

"Do you want a soda or... something?" Kouga asked as she walked in.

"Actually that sounds great right now. Dr. Pepper?"

"Sure..."

He walked into the kitchen, and soon came back with it. She sat on the white sofa. She loved his house. It wasn't too big or fancy but it was nice, and it was a break from the city. It was in a small sub-urban area of town. Catching a taxi to get there was hell though. Catching a taxi to get anywhere in New York was hell.

She took it and stared out the large window that overlooked Kouga's backyard. It began to rain right before she got there. It was pouring then, and she could hear small sounds of thunder in the distance. It was a mirrored reflection of what she felt in her heart.

"Amy, are you alright?"

"Yeah..." She smiled as she let her eyes drift from the sight outside.

She felt his hand trace up her arm and rest on her shoulder. She sighed, and wanted to say something, but didn't. It was alright.

"So, where are your brothers?" She asked in a lighter tone.

"I haven't the slightest really."

She smiled as she leaned back onto the sofa. Kouga's hand slipped from her shoulder.

"Thanks for letting me come over here. I would've gone crazy in that apartment."

"Especially with Sesshoumaru, huh?"

"He's really not that bad, Kouga."

He smiled. "Maybe for you."

There was a silence. It filled the air causing it to become almost smothering.

"Amy, can you promise me something?" He turned to face her.

"What?"

"If Sesshoumaru or anyone else hurts you then tell me."

"Kouga, there's really no need to-"

"Amy." He said gravely.

"Okay." She said, nervously. She felt trapped now. She had two guys telling her to tell them if either of them hurt her. Damn.

Kouga stood, and held out his hand for her to grab. "Let's go upstairs. I have some photos I want you to look at."

He smiled as she grabbed his hand. He smiled, and let go of her when she was on her feet.

—

"So, what's going on with you and Sesshoumaru as of now?" Kouga asked trying to keep himself from bringing up the topic of 'them'.

"Same thing. I think he's really getting tired of me though. I don't know. I need somewhere to go so I don't have to be around him so damn much. He's really driving me crazy and he's not even doing anything."

"I'd never get tired of you, and you can always come over here." He said as he messed around with his computer. He was trying to open up the pictures he wanted her to look at.

"I know." She said as she watched him.

He finally opened the folder and motioned for her to come over to the desk.

The looked through pictures and then brought up old ones from high school and brought back memories that she thought that she would never forget, but then again they couldn't stay with her forever.