Story rating: T. For mild language.

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid character's for me to terrorize.

ENJOY & REMEMBER REVIEW PLEASE!

Chapter 6. Jumping Without A Parachute

~INU POV~

I made my way into the hell hole people called 'School', pushing my way through a crowd teenager's and tanager demons, heading toward my first class. I turned down the hallway leading to first period, instantly spotting Kagome. A small and highly unusual smile made its way onto my lips at the mere sight of her. Shortly after her scent, her intoxicating scent, wafted its way into my nose. I hoisted my bag up up higher on my shoulder and started walking toward her. But stopped short when I saw who she was with. Walking down the hallway with her, holding hands and laughing his head off was Koga. The flea bag.

Instantly my chest tightened and I dug my claws into my backpack strap, a low growl escaping my bared teeth. My instincts were telling me to go over there and rip his throat out with my bare fists, but I somewhat calmed myself and breezed right past them into first period instead, casting Kagome a wayward glance which she returned.

It was hard not to get intoxicated on Kagome's scent when she finally walked into class, and sat down in front of me. She smelled like a summer's night. I stared at the back of her head, trying to think of a good excuse to talk to her. But I pushed the idea out of my head because Id would only make an idiot of myself anyway.

Don't fucking ask me why - because I have no idea - but ever since our little 'date' at the library, I hadn't been able to get my mind off her. I mean I know Id only just met her a few weeks ago but I felt like there was something about her I couldn't put my finger on. Id even been in a surprisingly good mood. When Sesshomaru ate the last piece of cake Id been saving in the fridge, in front of my face just to antagonize me, I didn't even flinch or get mad. I just said "Thats ok. I wasn't going to eat that anyway. I hope you enjoy it."

Like what the hell was that?

"I hope you enjoy it?"

The fuck?

When I was riding my motorcycle to school this morning, a rabbit hopped into my path on the road. I slowed my bike down waiting for it to hop away and didn't even speed up and run it over! I slid a hand down my face in my pathetic shame and slammed my head down onto the top of my desk. I was trying to think of why I had suddenly become such an asshole when I heard a quiet "Um…hey?"

I jerked my head up and saw Kagome sitting in the desk right ahead of mine, her body turned in my direction. He brown eyes were laced with concern, her mouth turned down into a frown. She seemed confused, maybe even more confused then I was. My heart sped up

Thump-Thump Thump-Thump

"Yea? What do you want?" I really didn't want to have a conversation with her. Because it seemed like whatever the hell my problem was, it was because of her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Whats wrong with you today InuYasha?"

Thump-Thump Thump-Thump Thump-Thump

She noticed? I coughed awkwardly. "Why would you say that? Nothing's wrong. Why would something be wrong?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, when I was talking to Koga earlier this morning you didn't even try to come 'save' me like you usually do. And you haven't even called me princess all this morning. Are you sick?"She reached out and placed the back of her hand against my forehead, seeing if I had a fever. Her hand was cool and it felt good on my burning flesh. I felt my breathing become normal and my heart stopped pounding fists on my rib cage. It was like..like her touch was calming me down.

She smirked. "Nope no fever. So whats wrong with you?" Her expression became sad. "Did..did I do or say something that made you mad at me?"

I had to think about that one. 'Ever since you moved here I've been acting like a grade A prick, and I haven't been able to get my mind off of you. I have no idea why the hell I feel this way but it does seem to have something to do with you. So yes. Yes you did.'

I shook my head. "No. It has nothing to do with you." I could practically feel my internal demon smirking at me. It had been dormant for some year, occasionally gaming back to speak to me about random thing's. But strangely, when Kagome had came into my life, it had suddenly became Mr. Talkative. "Your an idiot." It growled.

I rolled my eyes. Oh here we go. Now Mr. Personality is telling me how much of an idiot I am."' Know ok? Now shut up and let me fucking concentrate.'

Kagome was looked down, drawing lazy circles into my desk with her finger. "Ok. Whatever I guess."

I raised an eyebrow at this. Kagome looked disappointed in me. 'Wonderful.' Deciding not to say anything back to that, I sighed and Kagome turned around to face forward in her seat. I watched the back of her head during the rest of first period, thinking of any possible explanations of why all of this was happening to me. Kagome was chipping away at my icy heart, melting it in the process. I was slipping and it was obviously showing. I felt like I was losing control.

Or maybe I really never was. Not when it came to Kagome anyway.

xXx

~KAG POV~

InuYasha was acting weirder today. Okay let me rephrase that; Inuyasha was acting weirder then normal. I mean really weird. He was avoiding my gaze, practically ignoring me and not even calling me a princess. When I was talking to Koga in the hallway this morning, he didn't even so much as look in my direction. He didn't try to push my buttons or get on my nerves, he didn't try to be the annoying jerk faced asshole id come to know. It was like…like he was trying to pretend I didn't exist.

And I didn't like it.

For some reason, not having him annoy me was worse then when he was. I sighed and rolled my eyes as our history teacher rambled on about something that happened a a few hundred years ago or something. I wasn't even paying attention! That was so unlike me. I usually paid full attention to whatever course I was learning, but I had no idea what she was talking about.

I clenched my hands together around my pencil in a death grip, my foot tapping irritably underneath my desk. Hearing a quit crack, I looked down and noticed that Id broken the pencil. I stared at the broken pieces on my desk, when the teacher cleared her throat. "Kagome."

My head snapped up, my heart suddenly beating faster and faster as all eyes in the classroom turned to stare at me. "Ye-yes?" I could feel the intense gaze InuYasha was giving the back of my head and tried to think of something else. Anything else but him.

Out teacher adjusted her glasses. "What government replaced the Kamakura regime during the early fourteenth century in Japan?"

I felt my cheeks go red as I racked my brain. I didn't know the answer. "Um.." I swallowed nervously and kept thinking. 'Think of something, ANYTHING stupid!' But my mind had gone blank. Except for his face. My shoulders slumped and I finally gave up. "I don't know." I mumbled sadly, sliding down in my seat, trying to disappear.

Our teacher, Mrs. Asano, looked at me with disappointment. Mrs. Asano, aside from being a history teacher, was also a music teacher, her specialty being the wind flute. I heard that she was a fantastic musician. As a history teacher, however…well that was a different story. She, personally, gave me the chills. She wasn't my favorite teacher.

Her blue/ grey eyes lingered on me for a few more seconds before flicking back to the rest of the class. "Was anyone else paying attention? Can anyone answer the question?"

Kikyo- the bitch- raised her hand.

Mrs. Asano nodded. "Yes Kikyo?"

Kikyo stood up and faced the class. "After the Kamakura Regime, the Tokugawa Shogunate was to rule Japan from Edo (Tokyo) for over two and a half centuries."

"Vary good Kikyo." Mrs. Asano said smiling, obviously glad one of her students wasn't an idiot.

Kikyo smirked and winked at me before she sat back down. She immediately leaned over in her desk to start whispering with her friends. I glared at her, hoping she'd catch fire.

She didn't.

'Probably talking about me,' I thought bitterly. I didn't even dare turn around and look at Inuyasha. Not after that embarrassment. 'He's obviously going through something. I should just let him be alone. He'll talk to me eventually…right?

I let my head fall to my desk. 'I hate today.'

xXx

When the last period ended I was so happy I wanted to scream because it meant that I only had two more classes to zone through and then I could go home and sleep. I walked into the lunch room and found Koga waving for me to join him. I grinned like a mad woman and walked around the human side of the barrier to join him, like usual.

He grinned. "Hey Kagg's." I smirked at my nickname he'd given me and tried keeping my gaze away from InuYasha who was talking Miroku and Sango's ear off from the other side of the cafe. I could see InuYasha was irritated by the way his ears kept swiveling back and forth furiously on his head.

I sighed and looked back at Koga, plopping myself down into a plastic red chair, turning so I could face him. "Hey Koga. Whats up?"

"Oh nothing much. Well actually there is something," I eyed him suspiciously. "Um…you know Demons Heart right?"

I nodded slowly, wondering where h was going with this. I knew about them, they were this really cool demonic band. I wanted to go their concert they were having next week, but it had been sold out before I could buy tickets.

"Yea I know about them. Why?" I asked, propping my feet up on my backpack underneath the lunch table.

"Well see I have this problem." Koga started, putting a clawed hand on his forehead and faked being upset.

I smirked at his amusing behavior. "…..And that would be?"

"I have two tickets to their up coming concert and I don't know who to take with me," He murmured, sighing dramatically. My eyes widened, a large happy smile spread across my face. Koga continued to be dramatic, "There are just so many people I could take." He leaned forward on the table toward me. "Know anyone?"

My mind flew. "Um…YEAH! Me!?" I said, letting my arm's flail around. Was he crazy? He was so going to take me. Koga laughed and reached into his pocket for something.

He then got down on one knee on the cafeteria floor, causing a few people to look our way. Kouga knelt on the floor like he was going to propose and held out two tickets for the concert, and I swear to god my fucking heart stopped. "Kagome Higurashi, I would be most honored if you did this for me. Will you go to the concert with me?" He winked and I burst out into laughter at his cute stupidity.

I faked being flustered and fanned a hand at my face."Oh Koga I will. Yes yes a thousand times yes!"

He smiled and punched a fist into the air. "Yes! I'm going to the concert with the most beautiful girl in the world."

We laughed together and sat back down. "Damn strait skippy." I told him with a firm nod.

We then went on and talked about the band, wondering how awesome the concert was going to be for the rest of lunch. I munched on a sandwich as Koga talked about how excited he was to be going with me. I instantly stopped chewing in mid bite as a thought came to mind.'Does Koga like me? Does he 'like' me like me?'

I watched him more closely, continuing with food. 'So what if he does? He's a really nice guy. Why shouldn't I be happy if he likes me? He's cute and funny and he makes me laugh. Why wouldn't or shouldn't I be happy about that?'

Out of habit, my eyes flicked over to InuYasha's table. He was glaring at Koga like he was trying to figure out how to murder him without being caught. Then, when he felt my eyes on him, his eyes flicked over to me and his cold hard gaze softened. My heart ached as I realized why I wouldn't be happy about Koga liking me and me liking him back…

Because I knew InuYasha wouldn't be happy about it.

I looked back to Koga and forced out a laugh as he cracked some kind of joke. I knew maybe I was hurting InuYasha but I mean why should I really care? He had been acting like a jerk to me recently and it seemed l like he wanted nothing more but then to ignore me.

So why did I care?

I knew InuYasha had witnessed the scene Koga and I had made earlier when he asked me to the concert. Now that I had a chance to look back on it, maybe that was the reason Koga had down it in the cafeteria; to get InuYasha's attention.

My brow furrowed and I swallowed down a lump of sandwich. But why would Koga do that? Was he trying to make InuYasha jealous? I shook the thought out of my mind. No. InuYasha would't be jealous. Not over me anyway.

I looked back to Inuyasha and watched as Sango and Miroku seemed to be trying to calm him down. He was obviously upset over something. His back was hunched over, his hands were balled into fists and Sango was rubbing his back in a way that a mother would. Miroku was talking to him. InuYasha was glaring at his uneaten food. He opened his bout to say something but I couldn't watch anymore. I returned my attention back to Koga. I didn't want to see Inuyasha like that anymore.

The rest of lunch was a little tense but once it ended, Koga, clearly sensing my distress, took a hold of my hand and rubbed circles onto my palm of with his thumb. I looked up at him smiling, and he smirked right back.

Koga walked me to the gym entrance like on the first day of school and even opened the door for me. He bowed slightly, sweeping his arm backward. "My lady."

I rolled my eyes at his corny jokes, but smile. "Why thank you kind sir."

When we made it inside, Koga grabbed me around my waist and kissed my cheek, startling the shit out of me. "See you after school Kagome." I stared dumbly after him as he ran to catch up with his friends, Ginta and Hakkaku.

I blew my bangs out of my face. 'What the hell have I gotten myself into?'

xXx

~INU POV~

I revved the engine and sped my bike up, casting a glance behind me.

I was pissed off. And I mean really pissed off. When I had over-heard Kagome being asked out on a date by Koga, of all people, my internal demon had lost it. It was talking my fucking ear off about how I should go over there and 'stop him' and how I 'should protect Kagome.' And I had lost it.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My chest was tightening around myself like a snake trying to squeeze the life out of its pray, my heartbeat was thrumming throughout my chest. Sango and Miroku tried calming me down, but the only thing I wanted, needed, was to go and think for a while. I decided to skip the rest of school after lunch and go home and talk to Sesshomaru. He was the very last person I wanted to speak to, seeing as how he hated my fucking guts, but it was necessary. Maybe he knew something about what was going on inside my head and why.

I killed the engine of my bike and parked in front of the house. I burst through the front oak doors, ending them crashing inward and slamming them behind me, wildly looking around for Sesshomaru.

"SESSHMOARU!" I hollered. "I FUCKING NEED TO TALK TO YOU! NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. My shout echoed throughout the doorway and into the living room. I was not happy at the moment and I needed to talk to him. Now.

I crossed my arms and waited for him, feeling his yokai within five seconds of my shouting. He brought a cool, harsh breeze with him. My back stiffened and I turned around to face him. I looked him over and saw he looked calm, but looks can be fucking deceiving. I could smell the anger on wafting off of him. He was holding a few papers in his hand, which told me he had been working and Id interrupted him.

He cracked his knuckles, trying to keep his cool exterior. "What is it, little brother? Why aren't you at school? Its obvious you need to be taught a thing or two."

I chose to ignore his comment because I would deal with him after. "Sesshomaru, you have no idea how much this is going to hurt. Like I mean this will physically hurt to say this, but dammit to hell, I'm desperate." I said, struggling to force the words out. Cracking my knuckles, and growing I grumbled, "Sesshomaru, I need your help."

I let out a huge breath, finally saying it to his face.

Sesshomaru blinked like he was bored. "Inuyasha, can you get over the dramatic's and just tell me what you want and why your here? I was vary busy working on a possible merger with another company with dad when you rudely inturrpted us." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "So just tell my what your problem is."

I looked at Sesshomaru like he was crazy; which he was, instantly forgetting my problem. "Dad's here? Where is he? Maybe he can help me with my problem!" Suddenly, I felt happy. Giddy almost. Dad was never home. He was always away on business, and Sesshomaru stayed home to hold down the fort in dads absence. Which was always. Even though I was throughly pissed of at my father for not being here when I needed him most of my life, I wanted to talk to him. He could help me more then Sesshomaru could.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "He is in a vary important meeting and I will not let you interfere. Just tell me what it is you need."

I glared at him, feeling my ears pin down onto my head. "I need someone to tell me what its like to be in love." I blurted.

His face faltered for once in his life, and he tried to mulling over what I'd said. "Um well…you…um." This was ridiculous. Even he couldn't even tell me. Great.

Turning away from him, I walked into the living room, sat down on the leather couch placed in front of the fireplace and put my head in my hands. Sesshomaru walked over to the couch blankly and sat down on the opposite end, as far away from me as possible. He was staring straight ahead awkwardly like he didn't want to be anywhere near me.

'Awh family talks'… I thought sarcastically, looking up. "Sesshomaru I…I need to know what It feels like. Can…could you tell me?"

Sesshomaru kept opening his mouth like he was going to talk or say something, but then he'd clamp it shut. I knew love was a touchy subject with him but I really needed to talk to someone. 'Maybe I should just wait to talk to dad.'' I rolled my eyes and moved to get up, when Sesshomaru started to speak. He glared at the floor like he was watching his life playing before him. He spoke in a low sad whisper.

"It feels like nothing else in this world. You feel so protective of her, if she even gets so much as a paper cut you feel the need to kill. You want to nothing more then to love her even if she doesn't return your feelings, you want to always be there for her. You would run thousands of miles just to hug her when she's sad and crying. You feel nothing but pride when she's happy. Her smell is so intoxicating, it makes you feel like your drugged when your not near to her. If a man try's to claim whats your's, you feel nothing but pure and utter rage and anger. Even if she told you she never ever wanted to see your face again, you'd still love her. She attract's your yokai, you cant help but love her. That's why she's your mate."

When Sesshomaru stopped talking, his eyes narrowed on the ground in tiny slits, his hands clenched. "Rin…she…was my everything."

Rin had been Sesshomaru's fiancé. They met in high school and Sesshomaru had fallen in love with her the moment he saw her. He was so protective of her, he even accused me of loving her. The end to that fight wasn't a pretty one. Believe me Rin was nice and all, but not my type. She seemed more like the sister I never had. She was bubbly and funny and made everyone laugh. She had a mouth on her and she always had good comebacks even I couldn't think of. She could cook like no one else could, and she made me cookies all the time."For no reason" she'd say. And she had a great smile. She loved flowers and gave a new bouquet she'd picked out to Sesshomaru almost every day.

Sesshomaru was his happiest when he was around her. He would even smile, if you can believe that. But just when Sesshomaru was going to marry her, she was killed in a vicious car accident. I had even cried when I heard the news.

And I NEVER cry. Ever.

After Rin's accident, Sesshomaru disappeared for a year. I still don't know where he went, even after all these years. During which time, I lived on my own. Except for dad stopping in once every blue moon. But when Sesshomaru finally did come back, he seemed like half of himself was missing. Because in reality, half of himself was missing.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, his face as impassive as ever, all traces that he'd been thinking of Rin gone. "Why?" He asked, his tone strained.

My brow furrowed. "Why what?"

"Why are you asking me what love feels like?"

I looked away, staring out the window, trying not to blush at the mere thought of Kagome. I swallowed hard, trying to get past the huge lump in my throat. It felt like I had just dry swallowed a pill. Finally getting over myself, I looked Sesshomaru straight in his eyes. A small ghost of a smile tugging at my mouth. "Because I….I think I'm in love."

Updated 1/19/13