Ton Up
By: The Hatter Theory
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
A Note: You guys are all truly amazing so far. I recently lost ALL of my files except for this one, because it was something I had been emailing to a friend for reading to see if I was writing it alright. But reviews and comments lately have encouraged me not to set my laptop on fire for failing me. Thank you!
When she woke up the next morning, it was to her cell phone ringing. Reaching from under the covers, she felt around on the nightstand for it, determined to make it stop. Hand finally hitting it, she grabbed it and was about to hit the reject when she saw Kouga's name blinking on the screen. Hitting accept instead, she put it to her ear, tugging the blankets over her head and curling into the warmth of the bed.
Wait. How had she gotten to bed?
"Morning," He chuckled when she muttered a bleary hello.
"How did I get to bed?" She mumbled first, still half asleep and not realizing how rude she sounded.
"You and Ayumi were both asleep when we got to the hotel, so we put you two to bed and headed back to our hotel," He explained, still chuckling.
Oh. How...Chivalrous.
"Thank you," She mumbled, knowing she would be eternally grateful that he couldn't see her blush.
"Not a problem. Well, there is a problem though," He finally said.
"What's wrong?" And like that, she was awake and crawling from under the covers, noticing that not only was she still in her summer dress, but that someone had pulled her hair out of the pony tail and taken the time to line her shoes up next to the bed. She prayed that she hadn't snored.
"Doumen took a spill on a green track and Hayate needs a rider."
What did that have to do with anything?
"He asked me if I would substitute."
Unsure if he was happy or unhappy with the situation, she said nothing, waiting for whatever he would say next.
"The guys and I need to practice working on it now that we're going to be short a mechanic," He sighed.
"Oh," She mumbled, understanding.
"We'd still like to see you two today though, if it's possible."
"Us too," She laughed.
"It'll be later-"
"That's fine," She told him, a plan already forming in her head. "Just give me a call to let me know when you're done."
"Thanks for understanding-"
"It's not a problem, now go practice," She laughed. He gave a quick goodbye and the line went dead before she could return it. Hopping out of bed, she left her room, intent on waking Ayumi, when she noticed four pairs of shoes scattered in the living room that had not been there the night before.
Figuring her friends had finally made it back, she ignored their doors and knocked quietly on Ayumi's. When she heard a quiet come in, she opened the door and saw her friend sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Hey, Kouga just called."
"When did we get back?" Ayumi asked, looking around at her room in confusion.
"Apparently we both fell asleep and they tucked us in," Kagome giggled. Ayumi blushed and smile shyly, as if she hadn't quite considered that option, but once realized, didn't mind it either.
"They're really nice, not at all like Yuka or Eri thought they would be."
Kagome nodded in agreement, sitting on her friend's bed and pulling her legs up. Ayumi scooted back to make room and ran hands through her long, tangled hair.
"Kouga has to stand in for one of Hayate's team, so they can't come as early today," Kagome explained. Immediately Ayumi seemed to droop, and Kagome chuckled, wondering which of the youkai her friend was forming a crush on. "But I thought we could surprise them."
"How?"
"We can take a cab to the track, maybe bring them some lunch?"
"I think that would be nice," Ayumi agreed quietly, visibly brightening. "I don't know what we'd bring them though."
"I do," She laughed. "You might want to bring a book though, since we'll be in the stands waiting for them to finish."
"Can I borrow the one from yesterday?"
Kagome nodded and stood, stretching again as she told her friend to get ready, and to wear pants. Making her way back to her room, she quickly changed and pulled her hair back. Ayumi was still dressing when she told her she would be back in a minute, and she was getting ready to sneak to her friend's room to get her keys when she noticed them on the table next to the door of the suite itself. Feeling as if everything was going her way, she quickly went to her friend's car and grabbed her beach bag and returned, taking the time to empty it of it's contents and sand and putting her books and helmet in it. The jacket wouldn't fit, she she slung it over her shoulder, the padding and amour making it too stiff to hang over her arm. When she left her room, Ayumi was waiting, sitting on the arm of the couch and fidgeting impatiently.
"I wrote a note for the girls," Ayumi said, pointing to the note she'd tacked to the door of the suite. Kagome nodded and grabbed a room key before they left. Once they got to the elevator, Ayumi let out a little giggle, and then another. Unable to stop herself, Kagome began giggling as well, feeling free to be excited now that they had left the quiet atmosphere of the room.
When they got to the hotel lobby, they were both indulging in a fit of hysterical giggles, holding onto one another for support. It took her three tries before she could ask the receptionist for a cab, and within minutes she and her friend were getting into the same cab she had ridden in only two days before.
"Hello again," She greeted cheerily. The driver, looking slightly surprised to see her, returned her greeting with a warm smile.
"Where to today miss?" He asked.
"Tomori's grill and then back to the track."
"Found that secret have you?" He asked, a smile lighting up his features.
"Yuuma took me there the other day," She acknowledged.
"He's local?" The driver asked as he pulled off and began driving for the small burger dive.
"He comes here a lot to work with the track owner as a mechanic."
"Ah, so he's a mechanic."
She nodded, noticing that the driver relaxed a little. Figuring he held with the stereotypes of racers, she let it go and hopped out at the restaurant and made her order, smiling when the cook, who said it was too early to worry about having a waitress there, told her he'd just finished the first set of the day. When she got back out, she handed the driver the bag that only held one and laughed when he offered up praise.
The drive was much faster than it had been before, and she and Ayumi both laughed and joked with the driver, who had opened up even further once she had gotten him lunch. When he dropped them off, she paid their fare and waved as he left.
"He seemed really nice," Ayumi commented, holding one of the bags of burgers and fries. Kagome nodded, feeling strangely elated. Everything was going well, and she only hoped Kouga and the others weren't angry that she'd come early and brought Ayumi.
Leading her friend to the stands where she had sat before, she was shocked when a motorcycle suddenly roared to life and began racing down the track. Ayumi's startled gasp echoed her sentiment as Kouga, at least she thought it was Kouga, zoomed down and around a curve out of sight before reappearing seconds later.
"He's so fast," Ayumi breathed, eyes wide.
The books sat in her bag, forgotten, as they watched him take several laps around the track before pulling into the pit lane. In almost an instant he was back on the track, taking the laps with blinding speed.
"It looks like he's going to fall," Ayumi breathed, eyes wide as Kouga's knee scraped against the track and created a flash of sparks. He was almost perpendicular to the pavement itself, and Kagome's heart jumped into her throat. She almost jumped when Ayumi's hand grabbed hers, but was grateful for the fingers that laced into her own as they watched him continue making laps.
What had been amazing and fantastic before became slightly frightening. Despite knowing that he was a youkai, she was still worried when his helmet looked ready to graze the asphalt on another turn.
But he was back in the pit again, and this time he did not reappear on the bike. She didn't miss him walking towards them though. Getting up, she walked over to the fence wall and looked down, blushing when she saw him grinning up at her.
"Couldn't keep away?" He asked.
"No. We brought lunch from Tomori's."
His face lit up and he didn't even try to hold in his laughter.
"You're an angel. Remember the way down?" When she shook her head he held his arms out.
"What?" She asked dumbly.
"Come on, I'll catch you."
"What about Ayumi, and the food?" She pointed out.
"Go get 'em," He told her, laughing again. She turned, only to see Ayumi giving her a worried look.
"He wants us to jump from up here?" She asked, her lower lip between her teeth.
"Don't worry, he won't let us get hurt," She promised, grabbing the bags of food and her jacket and sack. Going to the fence, she carefully dropped each bag, watching him catch them with effortless ease and set the to the side.
"You first or me?" She asked.
"I-I'll go first," Ayumi stuttered, looking at the fence as if it was the great wall of china. Kagome helped her climb onto it and get onto the ledge.
"If I get hurt, you have to stay in the hospital with me," Ayumi said.
"He'll catch you," Kagome assured her again.
"He better."
And with that she was dropping down. A second later Kagome heard her friend's small ooph as Kouga caught her before he sat her down on her feet.
"See, told you!" Kagome shouted at her friend, who was blushing heavily. She climbed on top of the fence and was in the process of turning so she could get to the ledge when her jeans caught on a piece of the metal.
A startle gasp turned into a scream as she toppled backward and she waited for the feeling of her body impacting the pavement.
Kouga's armored leathers weren't quite soft, but they weren't nearly as hard as the asphalt.
"I think you do these things on purpose," He joked, looking down at her. She covered her face with her hands and groaned, wishing, that out of all of the times she could have picked to have a klutz attack, it hadn't been that one.
"Thank you," She muttered, cheeks burning.
"Are you okay?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide as Kouga sat her on her feet. She nodded, heart still hammering in her throat.
"Want me to carry you?" Kouga asked, looking genuinely concerned. But taking the offer as a moment to break through the tension, she swatted him.
"I'm not some damsel in distress," She told him primly, grabbing her jacket and bag and letting him carry the food. They walked over to the pit where Hayate, Ginta and Hakkaku were working on the bike, all of them talking back and forth to one another in quiet voices.
"Hey guys, break. They brought us food!" Kouga told them.
Looking more than ready to take a break, the three males followed them into the shadow of the garage and pulled folding chairs from against the wall and set them up. Everyone gave surprised thanks when they saw the burgers and greedily gobbled them down.
"How long have you guys been out here?" Kagome asked, watching them fairly devour the food.
"Since about six. Hayate got the call last night, so we figured we'd get an early start with practice."
"Is it really that hard?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide as she daintily nibbled a fry.
"It's just reassigning roles," Hayate said, seeing that Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku had their mouths full. "Since Yuuma will be riding, he can't work on the bike."
"I didn't realize there was so much involved," Kagome admitted. "We're not distracting you all, are we?"
"Not at all, the food is a godsend," Hayate admitted, looking grateful. "They can go forever without eating, I can't, old man that I am," He added. Kouga snorted and balled up the burger wrapper before tossing it back into the empty bag.
"I'd say they've got it though, last time wasn't bad."
"Which is a miracle, by any standards," Hayate admitted. "And the bike is solid."
"Still, a few more laps couldn't hurt," Kouga conceded.
"Think you'll be able to concentrate?" Hayate said, a sly smile tilting up the corners of his mouth.
"It's not me you'll have to be worried about," Kouga retorted, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Kagome wondered what she had missed, but let it go when Ginta and Hakkaku both began arguing with Kouga about his statement. Kagome and Ayumi both giggled at their antics, turning when Hayate joined in.
"Are you sure it's alright that we're here?" She asked, still worried that they had interrupted important training.
"Oh it's more than fine. They'll be showing off to impress you, so hopefully they'll go through everything without fumbling around," He snorted. "I'm guessing you're Ayumi?" He asked. When Ayumi nodded, he smiled and pulled at the bill of his cap genially. "Heard a bit about you from the boys. Glad you could make it out."
"Thank you," Ayumi said, smiling before taking another bite from her hamburger. Kagome was grateful they had been allowed to come down to the pit, because as they males moved to go practice, she realized the day had gotten warmer, and all she wanted to do was stay in the shade. Ayumi followed, infinitely curious about the motorcycle and the track, and Kagome was about to when Hayate stopped her.
"Kouga tells me you knew him a long time ago," He said, stopping beside her. She nodded, knowing instinctively that his use of Kouga meant 'youkai'.
"When we were both much younger," She admitted quietly.
"I'm glad you found them. He's had work and the boys, but he's still shy around some of the others."
She couldn't imagine Kouga shy, it seemed antithetic to everything he was, everything she remembered him being.
"It's good to have you and your friend around. I've got the main bench reserved for you and your friends on race day. Took some doing, but it's yours."
"Oh, thank you, you didn't-"
"I did. He's a good man," Hayate added, nodding in Kouga's direction. "They all are, helped me out in more than one jam. He and my mate aren't too fond of one another, but cats and canines never are. She was the one that knew him for what he was and told me, since then it's been a good partnership, works for us," He chuckled. "I just need your name for the gates."
"Higurashi," She told him quietly, reflecting on what had been said. "Higurashi, Kagome."
"Well then, you go on out there. He wants to preen even if he won't admit it," He laughed, walking away. Kagome nodded, watching him exit through one of the heavy metal doors. It was another strange moment, one that reminded her again that Kouga was not all she remembered, and that he was more than he appeared to be.
Turning back to the group, she walked out into the sun and for the first time realized how immense the track really was. Stumbling as she walked over to the pit, she saw Kouga mounting the bike and getting ready to pull on his helmet.
Ayumi was wide eyed and curious as Ginta and Hakkaku took turns explaining what Kouga was about to do.
"Good luck," Kagome told him, smiling softly up at him. Her short talk with Hayate made her feel badly for her old friend, and she wanted to give him something after everything he had done for her, had allowed her to be a part of.
"Thanks," He said, grin widening before he pulled on his helmet.
"You guys move back," Hakkaku shouted as Kouga started the bike and revved the engine. She and Ayumi both moved back to the concrete wall that lined the track and watched as Kouga pulled out, lazy wisps of smoke in his wake.
In the stands she had been able to keep track of him without too much trouble because of the distance. But on the track, she couldn't keep him in sight, and was surprised when she realized she was grabbing her friend's hand, holding it in a death grip. That he was youkai wasn't in her mind at all, only that he had disappeared in seconds and that when she caught sight of him again, it was turning a curve, knee grazing the pavement.
He was only in view for a moment before he was gone again, the roar of the motorcycle echoing behind him. Ayumi's hand squeezed hers as they watched him come into sight and speed by again and again. When he pulled into the pit lane Ginta and Hakkaku were efficient grace, moving in tandem to check parts and make adjustments. In seconds they were stepping away and Kouga was peeling out, speeding down the track and out of sight.
Kouga stopped in the pit lane four more times, shield up and speaking to the two mechanics. Each time she had to stop herself from going forward and interfering, although she didn't even know what she would say. Like clockwork they were done in seconds and he was off, and when he stopped a sixth time, she was relieved to see him kicking the stand down and quitting the engine.
Still holding Ayumi's hand tightly, she walked forward, unsure of what she was going to say but wanting to say something.
"Best time was a little over twenty," Hakkaku was saying as Kouga dismounted. Kouga seemed disgruntled with the announcement, but said nothing as he tossed Ginta the helmet.
"So what'd you guys think?" Hakkaku asked, finally looking over at them. Kouga blinked, as if he had forgotten they were there, and rubbed the back of his head when Ayumi began gushing over the speed and sound of everything. Hayate came back out, looking more than pleased, and clapped a hand on Kouga's shoulder. Kagome felt bad for not noticing him before, but she still couldn't muster any words to express what she was feeling, mostly because she was still confused about what she was feeling.
"You alright?" Kouga asked quietly, walking over to her. She looked up, surprised to see genuine worry pulling his features into a frown.
"I'm fine. It was amazing just-"
"Just?" He prodded, tilting his head to the side.
"Sometimes it looked like you were so close to tipping over or falling off."
He seemed surprised by her concern, and when his gloved hand came to rest on her head, she felt like he was going to ruffle it, like he would a child's hair. But he stroked back once, and then again, smiling at her and shaking his head. Even if it wasn't ruffling her hair like a child, she felt very small, in a way, much smaller than him and childish for being worried.
"You should know I wouldn't go down that easily," He reminded her.
"I know," She grudgingly admitted when his hand dropped back to his side. "It's just hard to remember that when I watch you race like that."
"Trust me, I don't spill," He promised. She nodded, not protesting when he threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Grateful to feel him in one piece, she stayed in step with him as they walked back to the bike where the others were talking.
"You made some damn good time," Hayate announced. "You sure you don't want to join the team on a permanent basis?"
"I'm sure," Kouga said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not into going in circles for a living."
"Damn shame," Hayate sighed. "Well, if you have your lucky charms here for the race, you'll place, probably first."
Kagome blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground, determined not to look at Kouga. Likewise Ayumi and Ginta and Hakkaku were all blushing, and Hayate merely snorted and told them he had more paperwork to go over, and for Kouga to remember that he had forms to sign.
"I'll go over them tonight," Kouga promised.
"You'd better. Now go change, you don't need to be hanging over a girl when you're probably sweaty enough to fill a spring."
Kagome gagged, although she hadn't noticed the smell of sweat. The smell of rubber and hot pavement and gas had overpowered it easily. But when Kouga grumbled and pulled away, she saw that he was blushing heavily.
"I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'll be back in a few," He called over his shoulder as he followed Hayate back into the building. Kagome watched, then turned back to the others, noticing that Ginta and Hakkaku were packing up a toolbox and beginning to walk the bike in. Ayumi was listening to them explain the mechanics of the race itself while she held Kouga's helmet.
No one said anything about her contact with Kouga the night before or today, and while it made her suspicious, given their insinuations several nights before, but she was grateful to let it go. Something was still unsettled and off kilter, and she couldn't quite name it. However, she wasn;t allowed to think on it long, because when they got back to the garage, Ayumi was ecstatic to find a white jacket and helmet on the chair she had occupied before, with a piece of paper that only had 'For Ayumi' written on it in a bold script.
Her worry washed away in her friend's elation, and she forgot her fear as Ayumi kept repeating that Ginta and Hakkaku wouldn't have to share their things with her anymore. The men's expressions looked somewhat put out, but when Ayumi tried on the jacket neither of them could contain smiles as she modeled it.
Kouga came back, a brown envelope in his hands. Kagome supposed it was the paperwork from before. But what was more attention grabbing was his hair.
She'd never seen it down before.
"I need to drop these off at the hotel before we can go do anything," He muttered, waving the envelope. "Or else Hayate's going to send Meina after me."
"He really threatened to do that?" Ginta stuttered.
"Who is Meina?" Ayumi asked, blinking rapidly.
"Hayate's wife," Hakkaku answered with a shudder.
"She's completely-"
"Evil."
Ayumi swung her gaze between the two before bursting into a fit of laughter, one Kagome couldn't help but join. By the time they straightened, they were using one another for support and wiping tears from their eyes. Inhaling deeply, Kagome saw that Kouga had taken the time to put his hair back and was rolling his eyes.
"Let's get out of here, Hayate said she was on the way to help with some of the paperwork and I'll be damned if I'm here when that harpy is," He muttered. Kagome noticed he hadn't said anything about Ayumi's new jacket or helmet, but wondered if he had some hand in it none the less. Resolving to ask him later, she followed him through the maze of corridors until they were exiting the building and back in the sun.
Behind her Ginta and Hakkaku were talking to Ayumi, making jokes at one another's expense and making her laugh.
"Where to?" Kagome asked.
"First the hotel so I can drop these off, and then somewhere not here," He grumbled, making her giggle. When he looked down at her, she elbowed him gently, rolling her eyes.
"Could be worse, could be how you make a living," She told him.
"Fuck that," He snorted. "Hayate knows this is the last time I pull him out of a jam."
"You're a good friend," She replied, nudging him again. "Besides, it won't be so bad. You'll win, get a trophy, maybe some flowers. Would you like that, some flowers?" She teased, laughing when he ran his hand over his face and let it rest over his eyes before he looked back down at her.
"You're a little smart ass," He finally said, a smile tilting his lips. "But at least you're not boring. Any idea where you want to go?"
"Some place cool, the track was sweltering," She declared before he helped her onto his bike. She noted that even though they had reconnected on a few days before, she didn't mind the contact. Everything considered, he was being polite, and nothing like he was back in the feudal era. Grateful for the small favors, she was zipping up her jacket when he stopped her.
"Can you hold these?" He asked, waving the envelope. "I normally can, but with a passenger I don't want any distractions."
"How-"
"Zip them up in your jacket?"
She nodded, taking the envelope and slipping it between her shirt and jacket before zipping it up the rest of the way.
"We can just ride a bit and see what happens," She offered. Ayumi nodded her agreement, smiling widely.
"Never boring," He told her again, smiling when she stuck her tongue out and then shoved her helmet on. Within minutes they were shooting down the road, and she wondered if being on the track hadn't rubbed off on Kouga. He seemed to take turns more quickly, sped up when he normally would have slowed.
When he finally slowed, it was only minutes later and they were pulling into a small hotel, one that, while not the plush hotel she was staying at, looked nice enough. She pulled the documents from her jacket while he dismounted. He was quick to jog up the stairs and enter a room on the second story.
Curious, and having never been on a bike by herself before, she leaned forward slowly. The angle was steep, and she knew that even if she held her arms out she would just barely reach the handlebars, which were almost perfectly straight across. Even so, she carefully stretched her arms forward, marveling that Kouga could reach them at all.
She saw the shadow fall across her and looked up, helmet still in place and thankfully hiding her face from view. Kouga slid his shield up and looked down at her, brow raised. She was grateful she couldn't see his lips, because she was positive the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes meant he was smirking.
"Cuddling my bike?" He asked, voice slightly muffled. "I'm sure it's flattered."
She raised her own shield up, determined to keep her face relaxed so he couldn't tell how embarrassed she was.
"I was curious," She answered honestly.
"It's too big for you. You're really small, we might have to fit one to you," He added.
She wasn't entirely sure she liked the sound of that, but he had already slid his shield back down and was mounting. Pushing the tinted shield on her own helmet down, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on when he peeled out of the parking lot. The others followed his lead, and she closed her eyes, deciding to enjoy the ride. After all, he hadn't caught her doing anything bad.
She was curious about how it felt to be on a bike by herself, to steer and drive. But long limbs were something she did not possess, and she knew she couldn't afford to have a bike 'fitted' to her, whatever that meant.
They continued that way, and she clung to him as he sped up even more, hitting an open stretch of road that seemed deserted. Wondering again if he hadn't quite let go of the speed he'd found on the track, she prayed he didn't do anything foolish. He might be able to survive a wreck, but she wasn't entirely sure she could.
Longer and longer, until the road narrowed and began sloping up, he drove tirelessly. The trees around them became taller, more plentiful, and she realized they were driving through woods. Wondering if he had any idea where he was going, she closed her eyes and stopped watching, instead taking a small comfort in the wind and the fact that she could feel him slowing bit by bit.
When he stopped, she looked around and saw that they were at a small restaurant. He pulled off his helmet and handed it to her with a quiet, 'wait here' before disappearing inside. She glanced over to the others and both Ginta and Hakkaku shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads.
Curiosity piqued, she waited patiently. After all, she was on his bike and, while she had been able to get off of it using him as a support, she didn't entirely trust the balance of the bike to try it without him. Within five minutes he was out, carrying two large bags, and walked over to Ayumi. Whatever he said she couldn't hear, but Ayumi took one bag and settled it between her legs before reaching forward and hugging Ginta's waist again. When he came over to her, he simply told her to hold it before taking his helmet and getting back on the bike.
The smells drifting up from the bag were wonderful and warm, which meant food. But before she could peek into the bag he was starting the bike, forcing her to lean forward and hug him again, beg almost smushed between them.
He didn't speed, and when he took a turn off of the road onto a much smaller one, she was surprised to note that it was smoothly paved. The small lane took forever and wound and curved. She looked around, surprised by the density of the trees before they finally began to thin out.
When he parked, it was in front of a small cabin that looked like it could only be one room. Wondering where they were at, she handed him the bag before slipping off of the motorcycle and pulling off her helmet.
"Where are we?" Ayumi asked, eyes wide as she looked around. Behind the cabin she could see a lake, although the shape made it's size impossible to determine. A dock stretched out into the water, and a small boat was tied to the dock.
"Hayate's getaway. He offered to let us use it when we needed to get out of the city," Kouga explained. "And I needed to get some distance between myself and that fucking track."
Kagome was surprised at the vehemence of his tone, blinking several times in confusion. She hadn't realized, until that moment, how much he hated racing in circles. A part of her knew that once upon a time he would have thrived on the competition, but somehow it didn't suit him now. Understanding that it was because his movements were confined, the speed meant nothing, she also concluded that he had driven so quickly because he needed to go fast on his own terms.
"It was good to be on the road," She agreed, smiling up at him. He nodded, relaxing as he shed his jacket and walked to the cabin. Curiosity getting the better of her, she followed him to the small porch and then inside after he unlocked the door.
The others followed, although once inside there was little room to move. It was a one room cabin, with a bed in the corner and a ladder leading up to a loft. Kouga dropped his jacket on the bed and they followed suit while he climbed up the ladder to grab something.
He came back down holding a folded blanket and frowning.
"Shit people, get out, we're not eating in here. It's too nice outside," He muttered. Ayumi blushed and Ginta and Hakkaku ushered her out, leaving her alone in the small cabin with an irate ookami.
"Kouga, are you okay?" She asked.
"Fine, just, with everyone in here it felt cramped. It's like I've been pinned in most of the day," He admitted with a deep sigh. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," She told him. "You said Doumen was a youkai, right? Surely she should be fine to race in a few days?"
"She's fine now, but a few thousand people saw her go pavement surfing before slamming into a wall. She can't just pretend she bounced back from that without making people suspicious," He muttered, running a hand through his hair and pulling it loose when it hit the beginning of the tail.
"You're a good friend," She repeated, giggling when he cursed. He gave her a flat look and she got on the bed, standing and using it as a step stool so she could reach his hair. Pulling the tail out, she brushed the mussed bumps free with her fingers and braided it before tying it off again.
"Smile. We're here, and there's a long ride back to my hotel. You'll get plenty of time in."
He nodded, smiling gratefully as he helped her step off of the bed. She followed him outside, smiling when she saw the others sitting beneath a tree waiting, Ayumi guarding the bag from the two males sitting on either side of her.
When they reached the group the males spread the blanket out and she and Ayumi flopped down on top of it, Ayumi stretching and asking Kagome how she had gotten used to sitting like that so quickly.
"It's not too bad," Kagome sighed. When she looked up Kouga was already pulling wrapped packages out and began distributing them. Kagome accepted one, surprised when she pulled the white paper back to reveal a green leaf wrapping.
"Oh, lo mai gai!" Ayumi squealed excitedly, accepting a pair of chopsticks before unwrapping the leaf. Kagome did the same and found rice and meat. The combination was delicious and she ate slowly, savoring the rich rice and the slightly spicy meat.
Unable to finish, she rolled the leaf back up and then the white paper, setting it back in the bag and leaning back.
"Full already?"
"That was huge," Ayumi sighed, leaning back and using Kagome's stomach as a pillow.
"Were not guys, we don't have hollow legs to store all of that in," Kagome shot out.
"Too bad, the woman at the counter found out I had ladies in the group and gave me some fruit for dessert."
"I can't eat anymore," Kagome sighed, looking away when Kouga pulled out an orange.
"Your loss," He replied, voice seemingly apathetic. She watched him quickly peel it and toss it to Ginta before he pulled out another and peeled it for Hakkaku. "This is the last one," He announced, peeling it quickly. She watched him eat the first slice and hoped her glare conveyed her displeasure.
"I'm full," She declared, voice firm.
"I'm not telling you to eat one," He retorted, pulling another slice free and biting into it neatly.
She felt as much as heard Ayumi giggle and turned to see Ginta waving an orange slice over her friend's face. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Kouga only to have her eyes nearly cross on the blur of orange right in front of her nose.
"I'm full," She muttered again.
"One piece."
"No."
"Please?" He wheedled.
"Nope. Not hungry."
"I'll stop if you eat just one," He promised. She heaved a sigh and moved her arm, but he was dangling it over her head and out of reach. Narrowing her eyes, she opened her mouth, wondering if it would be sanitary to bite his fingers while they were close.
She snapped when it came close, flinching when he teeth clicked against each other painfully.
"Fruit used to be expensive, the sort of things only nobles ate. You should take the time to enjoy it," He pointed out brow raised when she sent a withering glare in her direction.
"Fine," She sighed, letting her head rest on the blanket again and opening her mouth. This time he didn't jerk his hand away when her teeth closed on the fruit, but she only bit about half of it off before chewing thoughtfully.
It tasted like summer to her, which was strange, because she was certain fruits had never tasted like anything but fruit before. Smiling when the flavor burst over her tongue and slid down her throat, she swallowed slowly and opened her mouth again.
The second bite seemed even more vivid than the first, and she closed her eyes to enjoy as she chewed slowly and swallowed. Opening them again, she saw him munching on a piece thoughtfully, staring down at her.
"May I have another?"
They continued that way until the orange was gone and she was feeling content and lazy. Ayumi likewise was sighing happily, and they were just beginning to doze when Kouga stood and stretched, then began pulling his shirt off.
"What are you doing?" Kagome sputtered, flushing when she looked up at him. The light filtered through the leaves of the tree, throwing shadows over his tawny skin, a perfect slanting shadow bisecting his chest and leading down to a fine line of hair that started below his navel.
"I'm going for a swim. I'm still antsy," He admitted. "You guys should join me."
"We don't have swimsuits," Ayumi pointed out. He looked ready to say something, then knelt and held out his shirt.
"Go change in the cabin, you can wear this over your, ah, underclothes."
Ginta and Hakkaku had already shed their shirts and were giving them to Ayumi, who accepted Hakkaku's since it was a deep green and Ginta had opted for a white shirt that day.
Kagome stared at the black shirt for a full minute before looking back up at him.
"What about you?"
"We've got boxers," He chuckled. "It'll just look like we're wearing really short trunks."
She nodded, accepting hesitantly. Ayumi had already gotten up, and she accepted Kouga's hand to help her stand. She and Ayumi went to the cabin, and when she looked over her shoulder, she blushed when she saw the males stripping their boots and pants until they were naked save for their boxers.
Ayumi giggled about the antics of the group as they changed, and Kagome had to fend off the insinuations that Kouga was attracted to her. Since meeting him again he hadn't made any moves or declarations, he'd been a gentleman, in fact, and she pointed that out to her friend, who only tilted her head and gave her a look that said she clearly didn't believe her.
When Kagome pulled his shirt over her head, she was immediately surrounded by his scent. Sweat mixed with the scent of wood, trees, and something spicy and sharp, reminding her of the forests in the feudal era when they had been warmed by the sun. It was, strangely she thought, undeniably a male scent. Inhaling deeply, she stopped when Ayumi giggled again.
"What?" She asked, tugging the shirt down.
"You had that thing wrapped around your face for a full minute, and I could hear you inhaling," Ayumi pointed out, tugging the shirt she wore down. Kagome saw that like the one she wore, Hakkaku's green shirt hung down almost to her friend's knees, perfectly modest.
"Come on," She muttered, refusing to rise to her friend's sally. Their past aside, she had never understood what her friends had meant when they talked about how men smelled. She had always assumed they were romanticizing it, especially when they mentioned sweat. But there was something about the mixture of scents soaking the shirt that made her blush while also making her want to cuddle into it at the same time.
Muttering a small noise even she couldn't decipher, she walked over to the dock, watching as Ginta took a running jump and curled his body into a ball before he landed in the water. Kouga was nowhere in sight, and she wondered if he was underwater when she felt the air whoosh out of her lungs.
She didn't have time to shout his name before she was in the air, a scream erupting.
The water was cold. Very cold. And it didn't taste good at all.
She came up sputtering, only to hear another scream as Ayumi landed not far from her, creating a wave that splashed her in the face.
Readying a volley of insults, she looked over to the dock, determined to shout loud enough to damage his sensitive hearing. But he wasn't there. Ginta and Hakaku likewise had disappeared.
"Kagome?" Ayumi gasped as she came up. "Why do they do that?"
"Because men never mature, they just get bigger," She muttered as she looked around for any sign of them.
She screamed when something wrapped around her foot and dragged her under, bubbles erupting from her mouth before she slammed it shut as she tried to look around the murky water of the lake. She felt him next to her and pushed against him, using him to help propel herself up.
Surfacing abruptly for a second time, she glared at him when he emerged from the water next to her, a wolfish grin showing far too many teeth.
"If this is some sort of backwards wolf courtship ritual-" She muttered. His brow only quirked and the smile grew. Frustrated, she didn't even finish the sentence, instead grabbing his shoulders and pushing him under the water before swimming away.
A game of tag was born, although she was never 'it', even after he caught her, sometimes grabbing her ankle and pulling her under, sometimes managing to lift her and throw her again. But if nothing else, he was relentless. No matter how fast she swam, he would catch her, and even when she cursed he laughed. Despite that, she realized she was having fun. It was an immature sort of fun, but fun nonetheless.
When Ayumi's scream rang through the air, she turned and saw her flying off of the dock again, landing in the water with a giant splash that almost reached both she and Kouga, even though they were easily thirty feet away.
"I wonder what would happen if I told her that she just flashed them," Kouga mused aloud. Kagome turned, mouth hanging open in shock when he smirked down at her.
"Tell me you did not see that when you threw me," She demanded.
"Blue," He retorted, smirk growing.
She was wearing blue panties.
Making a strangled sound, she pushed down on top of his head, forcing him underwater and holding him there for a minute before letting go and using her arms to propel herself a few feet away. He was still smiling when he came back up.
"You do know that you just got mad at me for seeing your underwear and then pushed me down so I got an eyeful, right?"
"What?" She demanded, face heating.
"The shirt floats around you."
"I give up," She muttered, beginning to swim away. She was stopped when his hand wrapped around her wrist, and she turned back to him, trying to resist but unable when he pulled her a bit closer.
"Look, I'm sorry. If I crossed a line, I didn't mean to." It was a sincere, heartfelt apology, one that she saw reflected in his contrite, shamed expression. "I haven't interacted a lot with humans outside of working with them, it's hard to forget, sometimes."
She wondered for a moment if perhaps she'd overreacted.
"It's alright. I'm just being a prude," She sighed. "It's hard to forget that you guys shower together and all that and don't even care," She added. Which was enviable in a way. The three youkai were apparently very comfortable with their bodies, to the point that they forgot most people weren't.
He nodded, letting go of her wrist. They swam back to the dock and hauled themselves out, seeing that their three friends had already gone back to the blanket. She laughed when she saw them all, wishing for a camera to capture the moment. Ginta had pillowed his head on his arms, and Ayumi was using his stomach as a pillow while Hakkaku's head rested on her thighs. And they were snoring. Even Ayumi.
"Idiots," Kouga muttered, but it was said with a sort of fondness, as if the insult had become an endearment over the course of the centuries.
"Let them nap. We've got to dry out anyway," She chuckled, walking back to the dock. He followed and they sat at the end of the wooden construction, feet dangling into the water.
"I've always thought the summer vacations in movies were too picturesque, too fake to ever really happen," She murmured quietly as she leaned against the support beam of the dock. He leaned back and used his palms to keep upright as he looked up at the sky, brow creased as he tried to find a reply.
"This isn't really picturesque," He finally told her. "But I think under the circumstances it's allowed to be a little surreal."
She nodded her agreement, although in the past few days it had changed from surreal to almost normal. It was funny, she thought, how easy it had been to fall back into a pattern of having youkai in her life. Even if he had changed, he hadn't changed too much. There was enough of the old Kouga present to keep him from feeling like a stranger.
"But it's nice. I never thought I'd have this much fun on the trip."
"Even when I'm pissing you off?" He asked, grinning over at her. She rolled her eyes before nodding and laughing. He began trying to wring out his hair, then unbraid it, but began to mutter when he hit a snarled part. She scooted over behind him and began helping, using her fingers to slowly comb out knots and tangles. When he yelped she let out a snort.
"Stop being such a girl," She snipped.
"Stop pretending I'm one," He muttered.
"Then maybe you should cut your hair."
"Not a chance."
"Then endure, oh mighty youkai," She teased.
"I'll have you know there are a lot of perks to being a youkai," He replied, voice so haughty she knew he wasn't offended.
"Like what?" She snickered.
"I can hold my breath for a long time."
"Is that it?"
"Well, unlike normal wolves, wolf youkai aren't colorblind," He added thoughtfully.
"Meaning?" She asked, confused at his tone.
"Blue is my favorite color."
She pushed him forward off of the dock and into the water, knowing she should be angry or even embarrassed, but unable to help the laughter that bubbled out of her chest and into the air.
I hope everyone enjoyed. See you next week!