Hey guys. Now, this chapter took quite a while, I feel like it was not my best, but definitely one of my better ones. Hope you enjoy,

Screwed Up

Women always bitch and moan about how bad child birth is, the pain, and all that bullshit. Well, I think I'm experiencing a pain that could top that. I had injuries in specific places, but now, everything hurts.

Plus, it's dark. But a slight new fear of darkness and frickin mind shattering pain should not be my main concern.

In this dark place, I'm smelling cherry blossoms which means Kagome is exactly where I found her. Or we've both been moved. By demons, maybe?

If it wasn't so damn dark I would be able to tell where we are. I can smell that we're still in the forest, thats for sure. The pine smell is irritating. Never buying that scent of freshener for my car again.

"Woah shit!" I shriek and I realize that my eyes were closed. Kagome is sitting in front of me, wide awake with a amused look on her face.

There was a random jolt of pain up my right arm, the one that practically mauled.

"Inuyasha, I shook your arm to wake you up because I didn't know if you had a concussion or anything, so I-"

I kiss her. I don't think it's just because I'm relieved that she's alright, or that I haven't done it in so long, but, she kisses back.

She slips a hand in my hair and she falls on her back on the forest floor. My hands go to her hips, grasping them, something that I always used to do.

I've never been in this dangerous of a situation with Kikyo, the closeness of her, how easy it would be to just go all the way.....

Kikyo.

I pull my lips from hers and roll off onto the ground. She sits up. "That was wrong."

I nod. "It was. I don't know why I......"

She pulls her knees to her, cradling them. "I should have been the one to pull away, I'm messing up so much just by being here."

Which bought me to the question, "Why are you here?"

She lets her head rest on her shoulder, while still keeping eye contact with me. "I wanted to be alone, without hearing about the marriage. It's coming up so soon, no one will stop talking about it."

Unfortunately, I know this. Nobody will stop talking about the damn wedding. The girls at school are jealous, the guys are a little pissed, considering Kagome was the most wanted girl in the school.

"Everyone is worried."

She bods. "Figured. Hope they haven't called the cops."

I look in the sky, theres no sun, and its probably going to rain soon. Maybe its 10 AM. "I'm sure they have by now. Miroku told me you were missing at 3."

"Why did you come looking?"

I shrug. "Couldn't sleep, otherwise."

She stretches her legs out in front of her. Her small hands grasp my right hand. "When I woke up, I noticed you're hand was red and blistering, did you get purified?"

Her thumbs are stroking my hand. And she's looking at me, focused and concerned. I nod, remembering the horrible sensation of the purification burn.

She laughs. "You should have figured that fence would hurt you, because of the charm on it."

I sigh. "Well, someone shouldn't run away."

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Take off your shirt."

"Excuse me?"

"Take off your shirt, you're bleeding through it."

I hadn't even thought about the injuries I might have from falling out of that tree since I woke up.

"Hurry up, I wanna see how bad your wounds are."

My claws go to the end of my shirt, and I slowly peel it off, I gotta admit, the air feels pretty good on my abs. She snatches it from me. She makes me sit up, and I can feel her fingers moving across my back. "What are you doing?"

"Helping." I hear from behind me. Then, my back feels really warm, like I'm sitting next to a fireplace. Then it goes away.

She scoots back next to me. "I managed to make a long cut on your back a scar, I can't guarantee it won't hurt."

"Can I have my shirt back?"

She smirks. "Nope. Too bloody to wear. Get up,"

I frown and do so, "We should get going."

She nods. She takes two steps but almost immediately falls down. She doesn't hit the ground because I catch her with my good arm. "Whats wrong?!"

She shakes her head. "Nothing, let me walk."

"Hell no, you can't walk without falling."

"I got into a mix-up with a snake demon earlier, it'll be fine."

I lower her to the ground, and start to examine her, birds and other animals make noises overhead. Then again, all those noises could be demons.

"Inuyasha," She whines, "I'm fine, let me get up!" She starts flailing her arms, and kicking her legs. Well, actually only her right leg is moving.

I grasp her right high so that she won't kick me in the face, and pull up her pant leg. My claws accidentally rake softly against her skin as I'm doing so, and I hear her drawn in a breath, that being one of the things I used to do......

My voice wavers. "Y-you've got a really bruised ankle." Her ankle is swollen and the skin has turned green.

"Did the snake bite you?"

She nods. "Right before I killed it, he managed to get me on the ankle. I don't think it was poisonous."

I sniff her ankle, and I can only smell snake on it, but nothing like poison. "You obviously can't walk."

"Guess not," She says, her eyes look dazed, yet concentrated. She's focused on me again. Her eyes quickly dart down to my hand, and then back to me, my hand is still gripping her thigh.

I look at my hand for a minute, then back at her, and the bridge of her nose has turned red. I should let go. If I don't, who knows what this could lead up to. But, my hand is still holding her thigh, my hand tightens almost subconsciously. She yelps, while still keeping her wide eyes on me. Her voice comes out as a sigh, "Let go,"

I nod, and let go of her thigh. I get into a crouching position. "Get on."

"What?! Your back probably still hurts."

I shake my head. It felt fine. "Hurry up."

She sighs and then I feel the extra weight of her on my back. I stand up, and sprint.

"So, which way of this forest is out?" I ask her, as I run blindly, pretty much, through the forest.

"Um, there was water when I first got here, so if you can smell water...."

For a while, I don't smell water. It's a half hour before I catch the scent, and I pick up speed in that direction.

"Why are you going so fast?!" Kagome's soft voice kinda startles me.

"I can smell water, we're almost out of here." I sat, but after a few more minutes of running, I can feel a sharp line of pain down my back. I guess Kagome was right. Then again, being hanyou or not, it was stupid of me to think I could fall 50 feet, land on my back, and still be alright.

I stop running, and crouch on the ground. Kagome plops down on the ground, and looks at me questioningly. "Whats wrong?"

Another sharp pain, and I try not to yelp. "My back hurts a little."

She shakes her head and sighs. "Told you an extra 120 pounds would hurt. How did you get your back injured anyway?"

"Fell out of a really tall tree." At that, she chuckles. And I frown.

"Shut up." I say, standing up. I bend down to pick her up bridal-style, and I start to walk.

"Maybe I can walk now?"

"I doubt it." I say, looking at the dreary looking sky. I feel a raindrop. Damn. It has to be about 12 in the afternoon by now, and everyone is still freaking out, I'm sure.

We're back at the pathetic looking stream and we take a break. We sit down and I make her put her ankle in and she heals my arm that the bear attacked, so that it's a scar.

If we took the trees, we could be out of here faster. But, it'd be too risky, carrying her bridal-style while jumping trees.

"I'm not that excited to go back," I hear Kagome say, beside me.

We make that so damn dangerous eye contact again. "What do you mean?"

I can feel multiple rain drops now, dropping like small harmless missiles.

"In less than three months, I'm getting married, Inuyasha."

As if we both didn't know that. But, maybe it's finally dawning on her that soon she'll be Akitoki Kagome.

The rain is falling hard now, Kagome's already drenched. She rests her hand on my leg, while not breaking eye contact with me.

"And I don't even, I can't-"

"Love him," I say.

She nods. "Yeah, I don't love him."

I reach over, running my claws through her damp, stringy hair. "Why not?" I ask.

She brings her face close to mine, her black hair mingling with my silver. "I don't know. Maybe he's just the one, you know?" She whispers, I nod, but then I'm stupid enough to ask, so unaware of this danger, "Who is?"

Her eyelids drop, allowing me to see the brown of her eyes only slightly. My pulse is incredible right now, my heart is going faster than it should when you're with another person's fiancé. Thunder claps from the sky.

"Not sure, help me figure it out...." Her hand leaves my leg, and goes to my face instead.

She takes my hand that was in her hair, and presses her lips to it for a few seconds. I take my hand from her grasp, and grab her by the chin, pulling her to me for a quick feeling of euphoria, a taste of addicting candy. Our lips move in sync, and right now, we don't care that what we're doing is wrong. That these lips aren't ours to kiss anymore, and they may never be that way again.

Her hand rest on my chest, her fingers being warm compared to all the rain. It's a while before she pulls back. "Lets get going," She says, slightly short of breath.

I nod, and pick her up again.

It's about another half hour of rain until we finally reach the fence I got purified on.

Kagome tugs my forelocks, making me scowl and look down at her. "Can you hoist me over a little?"

I raise a brow. "What for?"

"I'm gonna stabilize this fence for a minute."

I reluctantly shift her so that she's dangling over my shoulder and let her reach her hand on the other side of the fence. The rain is starting to let up, with only a few droplets.

After a few seconds she says, "Alright, leave me on the fence, and hop over."

"What?!"

She laughs. "Don't worry, you can pick me up as soon as you're on the other side."

I nod, and place my right hand on the fence and feel nothing but damp wood. I hop over, and Kagome is sticking her arms out, waving them in my direction.

I laugh and grab her, so that I'm carrying her again. The shrine seems quiet. I can hardly hear anything, and theres no one on the outside.

"We should go to the main house," Kagome says.

"Yeah," I agree, as I walk in the direction of the main house. When I get th ere, Kagome reaches out and pops the door open.

We walk in, the scent of cherry blossoms and rice balls greet me. I set Kagome on the closet couch. I walk into the kitchen and Miss Higurashi and Kagome's grandfather are at the table.

They spot me and Miss Higurashi's eyes widen and I realize she must not have slept last night, hence the dark circles under her eyes, the stressed look on her face.

"Inuyasha?! What are you doing here? How did you get in?! Where is your shirt?!"

I blow a piece of wet hair our of my face. "I found Kagome."

They both gasp and rush past me, into the living room. Eventually, I follow and see them smothering Kagome in kisses and hugs. And, reprimanding her at the same time.

Then, Miss Higurashi turns to me. "And, you!" I'm sure you're parents are worried sick about you!"

Her Grandfather chuckles. "Thank you for finding her."

I bod. Miss Higurashi pats me on the back and pushes me towards the door. "Hurry, and go home, let Izayoi know you're okay!"

I chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

Kagome yells goodbye as I go out the door.

I'm driving my car back to Dad's apartment when my phone goes off. Speak of the devil.

"Dad?"

His super deep voice says, "Did you go looking for Kagome, because she was missing?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me next time you're gonna do that!"

Then he hangs up. I laugh and my phone plays 'I like big butts'. I quickly press talk. "Yeah, Miroku?"

"Did you find her?"

I grunt as I turn the corner. "How did you know I was looking for her?"

"Everyone found out that you were missing by this morning too."

"Yeah, I found her. She's home now."

"That's great, now maybe Sango will stop blubbering!"

I hear a Sango-like yell in the back and then the line goes dead. He's forever getting himself in trouble with her.

I pull up in front of Dad's apartment but him and Semui are walking out.

I roll down my window. "Where are you going?!" I shout.

Dad and Semui both stop and walk over to my car. "We have somewhere to go, go see your mother, she hasn't stopped calling me."

I nod, and Semui pats me on the head. "Good job, finding her."

I smile at her and she takes her arm out of the car window. "I';ll get going." I say, and they walk away from the car.

When I get home, and pull on a shirt and some track pants, Mom is not happy with me.

"I thought you were dead! You didn't call and your father kept saying not to worry, but how can I not worry, you're my baby!"

I chuckle as I plop down on the couch. I'm exhausted. "I'm fine, Mom. Lemme sleep."

She huffs but retreats up the double helix staircase.

A few hours later, I'm awake and watching America's Next Top Model. I watch it for the girls. Honestly.

The doorbell rings and I continue watching TV. It rings again, and I assume Mom is not gonna make a move to answer it. I sigh and get up, rubbing my sore back, then I walk over to the door and open it.

Kikyo is standing there, and I move back so that she can come in. She does, and closes the door behind her.

"Hey," I say, holding my arms out for a hug. She walks into my arms, and her arms go around my mid-section. It isn't long before I hear sniffling, and I realize Kikyo is crying. She backs up, wiping her face. "I was scared out of my mind, when I found out you went missing. I thought you were dead...."

Does everyone just assume a person is dead when they disappear for a few hours?!

"Kikyo, I was fine, I-"

My neck snaps to the right because Kikyo just slapped me in the face. I can already feel the skin on my cheek turn red. Did she purify me with that slap?

"You had to go look for her!" She yells.

I turn my head, suddenly pissed. "She could have been hurt or kidnapped, Kikyo!"

She plants her hands on her hips, fiercely meeting my eyes. "Whoever said it was your job to go find her?! Why do you still-"

"Am I supposed to forget she exists because you're here?! I can't care for well-being because it makes you upset?!"

"Exactly!" She shouts. "You act like you still love her! She dumped you almost a year ago!"

Ouch. "I can still care for her as my friend! Grow up, Kikyo!"

She makes an ugly face, and scoffs. "Grow up?! You're lusting after a damn near married woman!"

And that, just does it for me. I don't want to look at her. I turn around, so that I can head back to the couch.

Kikyo says in an even voice, "When you found her, did you kiss her?"

I stop. I remember the kisses that I initiated. When I first woke up, in the rain when she told me about Hojo. Her lips being the warmth in all that cold rain. Her stringy hair on my claws......

Then there's the reality that she would've died if I hadn't been there, to experience those kisses, with only one able leg, a demon surely would've eaten her.

I turn my head to the side, seeing her desperate face from my peripheral. The anger on her face is clear to me, but her eyes are pleading with me to say no. That I didn't kiss Kagome. That I never wanted to. Or that I never will again.

"Even if you did," she starts, "just say no. Just say you didn't."

She's about to cry again. I can tell by the sound of her voice, and the salt I'm beginning to smell. I completely face her, with the tears rolling down her face now. I take a breath,

"I don't think," I say, "I can lie to you like that."

That was a doosie. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Please, please, review. Keep a lookout for the next chapter of 'It Kills Me' entitled: ' Drunken Fantasy'. By the way, I don't own America's Next Top Model or claim any rights to it, but yeah, review, and have a good day, or evening, or whatever :)

With that said, Sayonara!