Untamed
By: The Hatter Theory
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
A Note: Because of my updating schedule, I will be posting to this on Thursdays from now on. Thank you for your patience while I scrabble to get things back in order. Your reviews have been amazing, and the encouragement more than I could ask for.
It felt like she was the center of attention, almost as if she was put on display. Perhaps even had a target of some sort painted on her forehead. As they walked through the small college, which was nothing like the previous colleges she had visited, she could feel everyone staring at her.
Or, maybe not her, but her roommate. Kouga, taking advantage of the warm weather of the day, was walking around in nothing but jeans and a shirt, his long hair in a high pony tail that swayed slightly with every step he took.
And she supposed if one didn't know about his almost manic mood swings, he would be attractive. Even if he was glowering at everyone they passed. And he was glued to her side.
"Kouga, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," He muttered, glaring at a female that looked as if she was going to approach. The woman quickly detoured, and he moved his gaze forward, eyes glaring at the hallway ahead as if it had done something to mortally offend him.
"Then why does it look like you're planning to kill everyone here?" She demanded in a whisper.
"They're staring."
"We're Japanese," She pointed out, because she refused to point out the obvious. That women were staring because, well, he was attractive. And the men were staring because he was, well, she didn't quite understand men to begin with, and had no idea why they were staring. Probably sizing him up or some other male minded behavior.
"They need to stop," He muttered back, lip pulling up in a sneer.
"Ignore it," She shot out, hoping it would help her ignore the staring herself. But nothing worked. As they navigated the halls (an easy task given how small the college was) people continued stopping to watch them, and when they finally found the classroom they were to meet their instructor in, the few people already seated turned their attention to them.
"Come on," She muttered in Japanese, not caring that a few eyebrows rose at her language. Kouga followed her, glaring daggers at everyone that stared.
"I take it you are Higurashi and Jiyuu."
She nodded, ignoring that the instructor had mangled their names beyond all repair. Not wanting to start out on the wrong foot, she didn't bother to correct him as they sat down at one of the tables. The room itself was small, and there were only a dozen students or so seated, all in a range of ages and appearance. The staring continued until the instructor cleared his throat and announced his name and handed out packets of papers.
The next hour was spent going over the contents of the course. Throughout all of it, Kouga seemed on edge, almost defensive, as if he expected someone to attack him at any moment. His whole body was tense, and the shift was almost too much for her to take.
When the hour was over and they were sent on her way, she was grateful for the packet she'd been given because she was positive she had only caught half of what their instructor had told her. If anything, she was more aware of Kouga's mood than ever, and she wanted out of the building and away from him before she went crazy from the tension.
She had just slipped away when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Back to the apartment. I have to go over this."
He said nothing, but he did follow her. The feeling wasn't friendly or even protective. She felt like he was guarding his next meal form other predators, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. Wondering again how Inu Yasha could have become friends with someone so utterly frigid, she pinched the bridge of her nose.
Until someone bumped into them. It was a woman, perhaps in her early twenties, maybe even younger. Her brown eyes were doe like, her glossed lips sparkling as she made her apologies, staring at Kouga as if she'd come across a rock god or some other public icon.
"Watch where you're going," He snapped in perfect English. The girl only tittered and walked away, looking over her shoulder as she did.
"Stop it," Kagome hissed, finally coming to the end of her patience with his attitude. "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to quit being such a jerk to everyone."
With that she was stomping ahead of him not caring if he followed, cursed her, or went in the other direction. But she could feel him following seconds later, like an angry wave of negative energy quickly closing in on her. Wishing he had chosen the second or third option, she continued her pace. Maybe he would get the message and give her some space.
"Damn it, what is your problem?" He snapped, his long legged stride putting him next to her in seconds.
"My problem?" She snapped impatiently, giving him an incredulous look. "It's you. How did you get the clearance for a weapon? How have you not been put in prison yet? You're constantly swinging from mood to mood like it's nothing, and it's like you hate everyone! You're worse than Inu Yasha's brother!"
He was quiet, walking next to her, expression stony. They were out of the school and walking for their apartment when he finally muttered something she didn't quite catch. Still irate, she didn't push him, was determined not to give in to his childish behavior.
When they were finally back at their apartment she walked in ahead of him, not even bothering to look back as she stalked to her room and closed the door.
Less than three minutes later when she heard a knock, she threw the packet of papers on her bed and jerked the door open, ready to unleash the full force of her fury upon him when she saw the resentment in his gaze. Frozen by the cold fury there, she took a step back. For the first time since meeting him she was afraid, and not a silly paranoid sort of afraid. It felt like he was going to lash out. His whole body was tensed and he looked like he was fighting back the urge to punch something. Despite that, his hands were perfectly relaxed, not clenched into fists.
"Come on." His voice was rough, even angry.
"No," She stuttered, taking another step back into her room.
"I owe you a lesson."
Oh god, he wasn't going to hurt her, was he? Though her outburst had been as childish as his reaction to the people on campus, she didn't think it warranted punishment. Especially not from him.
"I'm-"
"Scared. Which means you'll be scared if someone attacks you. Now's as good a time as any to start. At least you'll get the opportunity to hit me."
With that statement hanging in the air he left the doorway and walked into their living room.
Which left her with two options. She could close the door and go back to reading over her packet or...
"You better get your ass in here," He muttered, just loudly enough for her to hear. Stifling a groan she walked out into the living room, surprised to see that he had moved the couch out of the way in the few moments she hadn't been paying attention.
"Alright, come here."
That was the last thing she wanted to do.
"I'm not going to hurt you," He snapped.
She had no real reason to trust him, but he looked about as awkward as she felt. Walking toward him, feeling very much like he was going to pounce on her at any second, she stopped a foot away from him.
"If someone is trying to attack you, what's your first move?"
"Running," She answered automatically. It was exactly what she wanted to do right then. She wasn't a hero, and she wasn't stupid. If someone was trying to harm her, she'd run as if her life depended on it. Given his blunt observations the day before, someday it might. While the program director had never mentioned the possibility of violence or any history of it with locals, it didn't mean that it hadn't or couldn't happen.
"Good, you're not stupid."
She made a disapproving sound, one he caught and rolled his eyes at.
"Most of the women I've run across are all bluster and no brass, but they like to put on that they'd kick a guy's ass. You're tiny, and we're going to use that."
Use it how?
"Okay, do not kick me in the balls," He told her, walking around behind her. Her awareness of him only multiplied when he walked out of her line of vision. She was about to turn when his arms wrapped around her and he lifted her off of the ground.
"What are you doing?" She shouted, voice pitched as her anxiety broke into panic.
"Try to get away."
She kicked her legs, flailing and wriggling, but nothing was working. His hold on her was too tight. In a last ditch attempt she went limp in his arms. When they relaxed an almost minute, imperceptible amount, she squirmed from his hold, dropping to the floor, barely catching herself by her hands.
"Good."
"You are-"
"Teaching you how to think on your feet. Are you really going to remember elaborate lessons or fancy shit when someone is trying to hurt you?" He asked, brow arched. Despite the flat tone of his voice, he actually seemed faintly...Approving?
And he had a point. She wouldn't remember fancy kicks or punches, and even if she did they would probably be useless. She was tiny and would probably never have the strength to do serious damage to someone.
"Alright," She muttered, pushing herself up. He extended a hand and she accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet with effortless ease.
"Once again, do not kick me in the-"
"I get it," She muttered, disliking the crude language. He shrugged and suddenly he was barreling into her, pushing her back so quickly she barely had time to comprehend what was happening before she was slamming into the wall, the air whooshing painfully from her lungs. Her shout came out a startled gasp as he snarled at her, face filled with that cold hatred of before. His arm pressed across her chest, making it hard to breathe. Panic spiraled through her until she was struggling against the press of him, her every move seemingly pointless.
"No!" She managed to shout, pushing against him, hands shoving into his shoulders.
And with a startled yelp he was falling back, crashing onto the floor in a panting, groaning heap. She stared down at him, more shocked that she had managed to hurt him than the fact that she had pushed him away.
"Son of a bitch," He muttered a minute later, pushing himself up.
She was still staring at him in shock, eyes wide as he rubbed the spots where her hands had been.
"What-"
"Old wound," He muttered. "It's fine."
"Obviously not if I was able to hurt you," She told him, feeling badly for having hurt him. He was still rubbing the areas, brows knit together, lips turned down in a scowl.
"Let me look at it," She told him.
"No."
"Just, please? Besides, I might learn something of first aid."
"Trying to get me naked?" He retorted.
"Yes, because your rapier wit and soft charm are irresistible. Just take your shirt off and let me see."
"I don't-"
"Kouga, I'm not going to try and maul you," She snapped impatiently, actually worried now. The only times she'd ever seen a guy like him (and the only one she knew even remotely like him was Inu Yasha) reluctant to be honest, he had been hiding a much more serious injury than he let on.
Reluctantly he pulled his shirt over his head, mussing his hair. For a moment she was aware that he refused to meet her gaze until her gaze drifted down to his torso.
Faint scars covered him, crisscrossing in raised lines. Some looked like someone had taken a knife to him, slicing along his skin, others looked almost like circular burn marks. On his shoulders, perfectly placed where her hands had been, were two patches of keloidal flesh, like he had been burned by something almost the size of her hands.
"Kouga," She whimpered. She'd never seen that sort of devastation to someone's body outside of movies, and there had always been the assurance that the scars had been make up and special effects. But the pale lines marking his tawny skin stood out, stark and unforgiving. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"I'm fine," He muttered, standing and shrugging his shirt back on.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't-"
"Know, yeah, I get it. It's nothing."
She wanted to ask how, to demand an explanation for what had caused the myriad paths of lines over his skin, but even though they lived together, she barely knew him, didn't have the right to command answers.
"I'm sorry, for whatever happened to you," She finally murmured into the silence.
"It's fine."
She sniffed.
"Shit. Don't cry. Do not cry," He commanded her roughly. But the tears were already starting. Guilt and shame mixed with her mortification, and then a healthy dose of anger added itself, making her feel even more volatile. Unsure if she was going to break down sobbing or begin shouting because someone, or several someones, had abused him in such a way, and she had only irritated the wounds, she rubbed her face and tried to stop the sounds coming from her throat.
"Don't-"
"I'm trying not to you idiot!" She shouted, her anger slipping it's leash in lieu of bursting into tears. All of the horrible things she'd thought about his moods and attitude, her impatience with his obvious reticence, which all made perfect sense in light of the marks on his body, crashed down on her.
"I'm sorry-"
"Stop apologizing," He snapped. "I don't need it."
"But-"
"It was a long time ago."
She knew forever wouldn't be long enough to forget the simple image of the scars. How could he live with them?
"Don't you even think about it," He bit out.
"Think about what?" She asked dumbly, surprised by the anger in his voice.
"Treating me like some kicked dog. I don't fucking need or want it."
"I wasn't-"
"You were. I'm fucking fine and do not need your sympathy."
"Too bad!" She shouted, irrationally angered by his words. "Because there's no way I can't feel badly for someone that had to endure whatever it is that caused those!"
"I'm not some wounded stray-"
"Then stop acting like it!"
He looked ready to say something but stopped himself, spun on his heel and stalked to his room. The door slammed behind him.
"Stupid, stubborn- Argh!" She muttered, running a hand through her hair before stalking to her room and slamming the door just as loudly.
Within ten minutes the guilt set in.
He had more than ample reason to hate people, obviously. Anyone that had endured whatever it was he had survived would have more than enough cause to retreat completely. If she had gone through what looked like torture she wouldn't like people either.
And she had just shouted at him. About his scars. And accused him of acting like a wounded dog.
"I am an ass," She groaned, thumping her head against the door. The use of cursing was distasteful to her, but she felt the situation warranted it.
"Pretty much," A muffled voice called out. She jumped from the door, expecting it to suddenly open. When it didn't, she cracked it and peeked out. He wasn't on the other side, and his door wasn't open. A quick glance into the living room showed that he wasn't there either. But his door opened and he leaned against the frame, arms crossed.
"These are from one of the few things I have done in my life that I completely believed in. I don't like the idea of someone feeling sorry for me because of them."
She blinked once, then twice.
Again.
He wasn't lying. The conviction in his tone was nothing less than absolute.
"I can still be sorry that they were a result, even if it was worth the cost," She answered quietly.
He was quiet, regarding her intently.
"Fair enough."
Kagome had no reply to that, couldn't think of anything that was appropriate to say.
"So no acting like I'm some sort of stray puppy."
She nodded.
"And no feeling sorry for me."
She made a frustrated sound.
"You're impossible," She groaned.
"You're the female."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She sputtered indignantly.
"You're crazy. So maybe living together will work out. Besides, you still don't know how to clean a gun and you haven't taught me how to patch a tent."
Another mood swing, one she was still reeling from when she grabbed her pack and brought it out into the living room. As she began going over how to patch a smaller tear, she noticed that he had relaxed slightly, wasn't as surly as he normally was. Whatever had occurred to calm him this time was beyond her. But she couldn't stop picturing the torso littered in scars or wondering when he would become angry and defensive again.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you next week! Reviews make my soul happy!