Chapter Five – Red Apologies

Kagome cleared her throat. She had decided.

"Um…Inuyasha?"

"What now?"

"I…I'm sorry."

The young half-demon stared at her in disbelief. After all of that…confusion, she was now saying 'sorry'?

"What are you sorry for?"

She blinked, "Uh…I'm sorry for making you s-" Inuyasha cringed, "…well, you know. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Please…please forgive me."

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. Oh, how he wanted to make her beg. How he would love to tell her to get on her knees. He wished fervently that he could put the beads around her neck and-…all such thoughts halted as her chocolate-brown eyes searched his face. She looked so…vulnerable.

She was a witch. That was the only explanation that he could come up with. That had to be the reason why she could make him feel so awful anytime he had bad thoughts.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard you. Well...fine. Just quit looking at me like that. It's so damn annoying."

A warm smile spread across her face. He huffed again.

"…so…will you answer me about those scrolls?"

"What do you mean?"

He stopped as he remembered what had happened earlier. He didn't want it to happen again.

"Never-mind, anyway, can we share the room again?"

"Sure." She tucked the diary back in her bag.

Inuyasha stood and walked over to her. He sat down beside her cautiously. Inuyasha sniffed the air. He wrinkled his nose. He must have been imagining things.

"Hey, Kagome, do you have anymore chips?"

"Yup, I believe I do."

She dug around in the bright yellow backpack, pulling out the open bag of chips.

"Here you go."

Inuyasha grabbed them eagerly. She watched as he munched. His snowy white hair was falling in his face. She pulled herself onto her knees and then lifted it in her hands, letting it fall down his back.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing." She smiled and leaned against the wall.

An hour passed rather slowly. She couldn't sleep again because of the howling wind outside. Inuyasha seemed as energetic as always. He finished the chips in record time and spent the rest of the hour talking in short sentences and pacing across the room.

Kagome was starting to get a headache. She reached in her bag, searching for any Tylenol. This was exactly what she was doing when he stopped and sniffed the air a few times, wrinkling his nose. Suddenly his expression turned serious.

"Kagome!? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine! Jeez, what is wrong?"

He ignored her and instead got on his hands and knees in front of her, sniffing around her. She shoved him back, a little annoyed.

"What is your problem?"

"Are you injured at all? Do you have any cuts or old scabs?"

"Inuyasha, what is your problem? Seriously, I'm fine!"

He stopped and stared her down, concern in his expression.

"I smell blood."

Kagome froze. She swallowed and blinked a few times.

Blood? I don't have any cuts that I can thi-

A deep crimson seeped into Kagome's cheeks. Out of all of the times that she could start her period, it just happened to happen on the night she got stuck with Inuyasha?

"Kagome, you look flushed? Do you have a fever? Do you have any medication in your bag that will make you feel better? Kagome?"

The young girl stood quickly, still blushing.

This can't be happening. Out of all of the luck...

"I'm fine."

"Kagome, my nose says different."

"Shut up! I already told you, I'm fine!"

Inuyasha stood also, following her around the room as she walked. They walked in circles as he ranted after her.

"Kagome, I'm serious. Tell me what is wrong!"

"Leave me alone!"

"Damn it, Kagome, tell me!"

"Shut up!"

"I-" The half-demon suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Kagome also stopped, curious and still embarrassed. She didn't understand why he would suddenly shut up, even though she wished for him to. She was surprised to see that a blush was also filling his cheeks.

"Uh…erm…Kagome…" He was turning a deeper red by the second.

"Yeah, what is it?" She started blushing deeper as well.

"…you…are you…erm…you are…in…heat…uh…"

Kagome balled her hands into fists. This had to all be a dream. It had to be a crazy, unbelievable, stupid, and embarrassing dream. Right?