Deceitful Time
Chapter Thirteen: Drink

It was futile, she knew it, but that didn't change anything. Still, she knelt in front of the well with her elbows resting on the edge, her chin upon the rough wood, and hazel gaze forever stuck on the ghost chains that no matter how many times she tapped her finger against them she could never touch. What was he doing? Was he worried? He must be, he must have tried to get through a few times, he just might be sitting in the same spot she was just five hundred years too early.

"Kagome?" Souta called out as he opened the door, "you going to go back there now?"

"Nope," she could only wish to do so as she got up to stretch her back.

"Why?" Souta kept up as he jumped down the stairs to walk up the well, his eyes wondering the top of it. She guessed he couldn't see the chains or else he'd mention them. "You get in a fight with Inuyasha again? Why hasn't he come to get you yet? It must have been a pretty big fight, huh?"

"We aren't in a fight," she assured with a weak sigh, "I just… need a break from there, that's all."

"Oh," Souta nodded, "I'm glad," she only heard his whisper right before he ran out of the hut by the time she turned around he was out of sight.

Did she hear him right? He was… glad? Her shoulders sagged as she leaned against the well to rest, her eyes upon the dirty floor; of course he was… he worried about his big sister running around with monsters. Everyone worried about her.

It was a double edged sword, if she stayed in her era those she loved on the other side of the well worried about her but if she jumped through to go meet them then those she loved on this side worried… she wished she never got dragged down it.

Wait, her eyes widened as she stood up straight, no she didn't. She didn't. She was glad it happened, if it didn't she wouldn't have met Inuyasha; if she didn't meet Inuyasha then Shiro wouldn't be with her now—wait… No, it should just be that she wouldn't have met Inuyasha? Oh, she shook her head before running a hand through her tangled locks of ebony; it was too complicated for a seventeen year old girl to have to deal with. And her friends thought they had it bad with their boyfriends.

"Oh, crap," Kagome grunted to herself, speaking of her friends, she was supposed to meet them at the mall thirty minutes ago before she got sidetracked by the sight of the hut.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"Mi, this shit doesn't work, there is no such thing," he declared with a slam of his glass upon the counter, "got it? I can't believe you wasted money on that. How much did you get conned for, huh?"

"I didn't get conned! I bought it from an actual mystic! Hina Junko, remember her? She sold it to me; she's a real mystic, right?" Mi argued as she shook the small pink peach shaped crystal bottle.

With a roll of his eyes he nodded, "but that doesn't mean it's a real love potion."

"You don't believe it works?" Mi challenged while she uncorked the bottle, "really?"

"Really," he stressed, "who do you want to use the potion on anyway?"

"You, duh," Mi sassed as she snatched his glass and poured half of it into his glass, "if you don't believe it works then drink it, Mr. Know-it-All."

"Fine," he countered after he took his glass back.

For a moment she was too breathless to reply, "really, Yasha?"

"Really, Mi, it won't work," in all his five hundred years he had never seen a love potion that actually worked. Countless times he had been a victim of attempts, and each time it was useless, so why would this time be any different than the rest? It was always the real mystics that sold the best fakes. With a swift tip of his cup he downed the entire glass before shaking his head—love potions always tasted god-awful and the brandy only helped to dull that slightly.

"Hello?" Kagome called out as she stepped forward in the entry enough to be seen from the kitchen as she removed her shoes.

"No!" Mi cried out while falling to her knees, "you were supposed to look at me first, Yasha! Not her!"

"What?" He huffed, "Mi, get up, I told you that doesn't work. I hope you didn't waste too much money."

"It was your credit card," she muttered to herself before looking up at him with wide almost watery eyes, "so it didn't work… you didn't fall instantly in love with her?"

"Nope."

"No flutter in your heart? No 'oh-la-la' moment? Nothing ?"

He just shook his head as Kagome entered the room to walk over to them, her eyes wirily on Mi, "what's going on?"

"Yasha just drank a love potion, and you ruined it all!" Mi accused as she childishly yet weakly hit Kagome in the legs, "he was supposed to look at me!"

"Mi," he muttered, "knock it off."

"A love potion?" Kagome giggled, "where did you buy it from? One of those strange palm readers?"

"A real mystic!" Mi stated as she jumped up, "but Yasha says it didn't work because he's still not in love with you."

A wince that shouldn't have occurred did as those words collided with her ears; she knew that… she knew Shiro didn't love her but…

"Mi! Get!" Shiro shouted as he waved his hand at her like she was a bug in need of being swatted down, "now!"

"Meanie!" Mi shrieked before jetting out of the room.

"Kagome, Mi—"

"It's alright," she stopped him; she didn't need to hear it, "I don't love you either."

He didn't even try to hide his wince, "ouch, Kagome."

"Whatever, Shiro," she waved him off before heading to the fridge, "the key you gave me works."

"Why would I give you a fake key?" He questioned as he jumped up onto the counter to sit, his eyes following her around as she go out a jug of juice to pour into a cup she found in the cabinet.

She just shrugged and changed the subject, "I'm going to Nishioji for New Years, are you doing anything?" She might be able to convince her mom, again, to let him celebrate the holidays with him but… then again, her excuse about his family being far away wouldn't work because he'd be traveling all across Japan with them to see their family. Oh well, she'd figure something out.

"Kyoto," he simply stated.

"You are going to Kyoto?" She asked as she took a sip of her drink, "why?"

"Friends," he shrugged, "you have family in Nishioji?"

"Yep, you know, they aren't that far from each other. We always go to Kennin-ji, that's in Kyoto. Maybe you could meet us there New Years Eve?"

"No," he said maybe a little too quickly so he tried to take a drink from his glass only to discover it was empty.

An almost too adorable pout formed on her precious lips, "why?"

"I don't celebrate New Years," he decided as he reached to the cabinet closest to him to pull out a bottle of Gin to refill his glass.

"Why?"

"Because I don't," he kept with, downing half the glass in the process.

"But—"

"I celebrated Christmas for you, isn't that enough?"

"Fine," she snapped. "I was just wondering, that's all."

"Kagome—"

"It's fine," she assured again, since malice no longer marked her words he let it go. "By the way… I kind of told my mom we are dating," she murmured with her cup to her lips. She had to tell him, he was supposed to tutor her at her place every once and a while so she had to take the precaution that her mother would mention it, or grandpa, or brother…

A smirk was summoned to his lips for that, "you did?"

"Don't get any funny ideas," she ordered as she set her glass down on the counter next to him rather harshly, "OK? I just said it so my mom would stop worrying about me."

He rose his hand up gently to capture the side of her face in it, "uh-huh, whatever helps you sleep at night. Don't worry, Kagome, I am as loyal as a dog when it comes to relationships."

"Yeah, dogs jump around from girl to girl," she scoffed, which stopped him briefly before he could recover.

"Well… I don't, you are it, Kagome," he murmured, "you are too cute to cheat on."

"You are weird!" She sputtered before knocking his hand away. "I have to leave."

"You just got here," he frowned playfully only to fluster her more.

"I-I'm going to help clean my home, the new year clean, you know," she stuttered some as she walked backwards until she knocked into the wall, "bye."

"Bye," he waved; his grin grew as she fiddled around until she got her shoes on.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

When was the last time she actually participated in the chores of her home? Her little brother that should be spending more time playing with his friends and going out for his school soccer team like he wanted to had to make up for her absence at home and couldn't do what a boy should… she never noticed that until she was around more. Her grandpa, even though he was a healthy old man, had to pull more weight and her warn mother had to, too. After all, her family didn't just have to take care of their home but also the shrine on their property.

It gave her too much time to think. Too much time to wonder why Shiro wouldn't visit New Years Eve and, regrettably, she thought she figured it out. Who wanted to note that another year had passed by after so long? He was waiting all that time for her... each passing year that he failed to find her must have hurt. No, she shook her head whenever she let her thoughts get that far, she couldn't be that important...

It took until late in the night for them to finish their yearly cleaning.

"It's over," she groaned as she flopped face first onto her bed after a long, hot bath, "I forgot how much I hate to clean…"

"That's unfortunate," an almost lull of a voice retorted, causing her instantly to jump up to her knees. It didn't take long for her to notice the breeze that that made her wet her freeze from her open window.

"God, Shiro!" She harshly scoffed before she took one of her pillows off her bed and threw it at his head, "don't scare me like that! And what are you doing here? If my mom catches you then—"

"What? She thinks we're dating, right?" He questioned as he slid off of the window seal and shut the window before sitting down on the bed.

"Exactly why it'd be worse if you if she caught you here!" Kagome declared between clinched teeth as she pushed him back towards the window, "go! Get!"

"I'm not a dog," he teased before capturing her hands and pulling her so close that her body pressed against his.

"Th-That's not what you said earlier today," she muttered as she tried to free herself from his grasp but he was too strong, there wasn't a chance, "Shiro, stop."

"Kagome," he coaxed while their gazes met, that was when she stopped her struggle and pressed her lips, "are you scared or just excited?"

"Y-You are acting weird," she murmured after she turned a cheek to his attempted kiss, "stop."

"Stop what?" he whispered as he moved his lips from her cheek to her ear, "I'll tell you right now that I will not try to take your virginity tonight so just settle down."

"Inuyasha!" she cried, blush covered cheeks as she pushed away from him—which, shockingly, he allowed. It was only after a few stumbled step backwards that she caught what she had just said, her hands sped up to cover her mouth.

She said it; she called him… his name. His eyes were wide but not as much as his grin, "Kagome—"

"Shut up," she muttered behind her hands, "go home."

"No," he shook his head slightly as he walked up to her, she only took one step back to try and be defiant until his hands grasped her arms. She allowed one of his hands to slip to her back as he used his other to pry her hand away from her mouth. Their lips were only a breath away before she closed the gap, again—he noted, but wouldn't allow it to be a sweet and innocent one like before. She fidgeted a bit when he licked at her lips for entrance, which she wouldn't grant. He could tell from her small nudge that she was about to retract her lips from his but he just… refused. Absolutely and completely refused to allow that, his mind was going wild with all the possibilities—hearing her say his name wasn't enough, he'd rather hear it being moaned.

The bed became their new playground before she could gasp for air, "Shiro—"

"Not Shiro," he mumbled before pressing his lips against her neck, she leaned away granting him full access. That only encouraged him, his lips parted so he could taste her skin better, his slightly fanged teeth nibbled at her neck leaving a trail of red marks in his path.

"W-wait," she begged weakly as her hands clasped upon his shoulders to push him only slightly away, not enough that his lips had to leave her skin, just his body from being so pressed against hers.

"What?" he breathed against her skin as he brushed some of her wet strands of hair out of his way, "I'm going to be gentle—"

"Wait, wait, wait," she sputtered, "you said—"

"Sh," he barely got out before pressing his lips to hers to muffle her worries, "I'm not."

"But," her brows lowered as her pouting eyes met his almost more amber than auburns, "then… what are we doing?"

"Preliminary play," he teased.

"What's… that mean?"

"Do you trust me?"

Not really, but he she nodded meekly at him. Her heart had never pounded so much in her life as he started where he left off; slowly he let his hand move down her side until it reached her PJ's bottom button. Thoroughly he began to unbutton them, causing an ever so small spasm from her but she just bit her bottom lip and let him finish until he was on the top one and he hovered above her, his eyes locked with hers for a moment.

"I'll stop," he barely managed to say. Not a single part of him wished to stop but… he might, if she requested it.

"Just… don't take anything off," she murmured with a glance away, her cheeks still pink, "promise?"

"I promise," he nodded, "I'll never hurt you, OK?"

"OK," she barely breathed before his lips collided with her, his hand slid down her flat stomach until his fingers reached the elastic band of her PJ. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies as he moved his hand under the band and into her pants, "wh-what—?"

"Shush," he soothed, "just trust me."

Again, she bit her bottom lip and jerked back some as his hand entered her panties, "wait—"

"I'll stop if you really want me to," he assured but, again, she meekly shook her head, pressed her lips, and shut her eyes.

It wasn't an abandon cabin in the midst of a snow storm but it would do. It was just one of the many memories he'd have to erase and replace with a new one. It was an abrupt plunge that jerked her up when his finger slid in. She wanted, for some reason, not to like it but she did. She wanted not to feel a panting, hot need as a response. She wanted not to instinctively move her hips to his pace. She wanted not to gasp with pleasure as he inserted a second. But she did.

"Kagome," he murmured as his lips trailed again across her neck. Her hands crawled along his back the entire time, every once and awhile—always with a gasp or moan—she'd dug her nails into his back.

"Shiro," she groaned.

Shiro. That nearly killed it for him but… it couldn't, not when she was so close to pleasure under him.

She muffled her cry behind his lips—she'd really hate to wake her family up, she'd really hate to be caught in such a compromising position.

"Inuyasha!" She cried out as her body arched against his, nothing but the flickering fire lit the scene before him. Her usually well kept ebony waves were a ravished mess, her body was coated with a thin layer of sparking beads of sweat as her hazel eyes locked with his. Her hands were upon the back of his neck to pull his lips down to hers as he mumbled her name. It didn't stop his pace of pounding into her as he pulled her closer.

"Don't go," she whispered into his human ear, letting her breath brush against his earlobe which sent a shiver of pleasure down his mortal body.

"I won't," he moaned, "never, K-Kagome."

"Promise?" She gasped as his hand gripped her bum to pull her closer to as he kept up with his pace, "Inuyasha!"

"I gotta leave," he sped the second he freed himself from the tangle they had gotten into.

"What? Why?" She asked as she wirily sat up, "but—"

"I have to leave," he kept up before opening the window and jumping out of it, he didn't even look back at her…

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"You did something naughty with your boyfriend, didn't you?" Eri interrogated with a wicked grin, "I can tell from your body language."

"That and you are wearing a turtleneck today," Michko added with a smirk to match, "good job, Kagome."

"N-No," Kagome stuttered, "not at all."

"Liar," Sachiko giggled as she grabbed her friend's arm, "you didn't do it with him, did you?"

"That's always a bad idea early in the relationship especially when it's your first time and the guy is so much older."

"Yeah," Ayumi agreed, "he'll just dump you then."

"No, I didn't… do that," she assured with a weak muttered, "just drop it, guys."

"You let him finger—"

"Guys!"

"Kagome," Ayumi laughed, "you don't need to be so shy! We've all done it. Come on, we're here to help. Did something go wrong? Did you not like it? Was he too rough?"

"No," she murmured, "nothing like that."

"Then what?"

"He," she paused—should she tell them? Why not, right? They were her friends, they were more experienced in the situation, and they wanted to help so…? "He just left afterwards, right away…"

"Oh," they almost all murmured as they exchanged a wirily look before Ayumi spoke for them, "that's no good."

"Dump him," Eri instructed, "I was afraid of this when I saw him. The age difference is the key; he just wants to mess around with a high schooler. You don't want that for your first boyfriend."

"Maybe your next, though," Sachiko put in.

"But not your first, dump him."

They didn't know anything, Kagome was sure of that as she held her breath; Shiro had been waiting for her for over five hundred years. Of course he didn't just want to mess around with her then leave but then… why did he leave?

"Hey," she cringed at the sound of the rough, rusty voice as a hand grasped her shoulder and yanked her free of Sachiko.

"Takeo," Kagome groaned as she smacked his hand away, "I don't feel like dealing with you right now, go away."

"Come with me," he ordered and without permission snatched her hand and dragged her away.

"Takeo!"

"Who was that?" Michiko inquired as they just stood there to watch them disappear in the crowd, "should we have stopped that?"

"He was cute," Sachiko marveled, "Kagome's got game."

"Why does she always have guys falling all over themselves for her?" Ayumi sighed, "is it because she's cuter than us or a virgin?"

"Virgin," Eri stated, "she clearly knew him so I think she'll be fine. Maybe she can dump that Shiro guy and get with him."

"Takeo!" Kagome shrieked once more before kicking him in the back of the knee.

"Hey, woman!" He shouted back as he retracted his hand from her wrist to grab his leg, "you! You—!"

"You are the one that dragged me from my friends! What do you want now, huh!? If you want to send another warning to Shiro do it yourself!" It was her pent up frustration that she blamed the outburst on, the force behind her scream, too. When she opened her eyes she saw Takeo wide-eyed and a half-step away.

"Damn, woman," he held his hand up and took another step away, "I came to apologize, OK?"

"Apologize…?"

"Apologize," he repeated with a nod but only because he had to. He really should have known better than to screw with Inuyasha's woman but he couldn't help himself, not that it mattered either way, he got to what he wanted in the end, anyway.

"Apology accepted, then," she nodded as she took a breath, "I'm sorry for yelling at you then."

"OK but… just 'cause I like a feisty one," he winked as he reached out to brush a strand of ebony waves out of her still mildly flustered face, "I'm going to give you a heads up about a little something. You are probably going to want to tell your bastard—"

"Boyfriend," she corrected weakly.

"Whatever, that you," he flicked her nose then, "are on Ohachi's list."

"Ohachi…?" she dragged out as she rubbed her nose, "what's that even mean?"

"Your dog'll know what it means," he assured with a step closer, "how about you dump that guy and I'll show you a good time instead, huh?"

"As if," she scoffed with narrowed eyes.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

It was only, only, because Takeo had said such a weird thing earlier that she bothered to go to his place. She really hadn't intended to, she really didn't want to be the one crawling back to see him but… she was. Weakly, she lifted her hand to knock upon the door. The key that opened it was securely within her purse but she just couldn't bring herself to use it for some reason. As she half anticipated, it wasn't Shiro who answered.

"Don't you have a key?" Mi sassed as she stepped aside to allow Kagome to step in.

"I'm not staying, I just wanted to tell Shiro something, that's all," she assured, that was why she didn't even bother to walk out of the entryway or take off her shoes, "so, where is he?"

"Out, if you just wanted to tell him something then call him," Mi suggested.

That was a rather brilliant idea, if only she was used to having a cell she would have done that right away. At least this way she wouldn't have to see him, so she whipped out her phone and pressed '2' on speed dial.

"Hello?" she froze at the sound of his voice, "Kagome, hello?... Kagome?"

"Yeah, sorry," she started, "uh, I ran into Takeo."

"Did he apologize?"

"Yep, what'd you do to make him…?" She murmured as she began to fiddle with the objects on the table in front the entry that, a few sets of keys, then there was a few pieces of mail.

"I'm a persuasive guy," he chuckled, "is that all?"

"No," she dragged out with a small sigh. An already opened letter caught her attention, her hazel gaze wondered around to make sure that Mi was out of sight before she picked it up and examined the postage-free envelop; it also had nothing written on the front.

"What else…?"

"You sound busy," she grumbled as she began to flip the envelop around in her hand, "I'll call you later."

"I'm not, what is it?" He only allowed her a millisecond to respond before he guessed, "it's last night, huh? I'm sorry."

"Why would you be apologizing?" She purposely scoffed right as the letter inside it slid out just a fraction, again her eyes scanned around her. It was wrong, she knew it, but she pulled it all the way out to look at the finely written letter.

"Because I left right away," he mumbled, "look, I can explain that."

"Sure, whatever," she kept up her sassy attitude. Her brows furrowed as she scanned over it, an invitation to the Yearly Summit? What was that…?

"Kagome, seriously—"

"I don't want to talk about it over the phone," she didn't want to talk about it at all.

"Then what is it?"

"What is what?" Her eyes kept going about the paper, it didn't say much more. Just a Yearly Summit, At the Mushon Spring Inn in Kyoto, December 31st.

"What is…? Didn't you have something else to say?"

"Oh, right, um, Takeo wanted me to tell you that I'm on somebody's list… Shiro, you still there?"

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

"Someday named… Ohana… No, Ohachu, no—"

"Ohachi?"

"Yeah, that's it, what's that mean—?"

"Where are you?"

That stopped her for a bit, "walking around."

"Get to my place, now."

Not a problem, "I guess I could do that."

"I'm not joking, Kagome, do it, now. I mean pronto, where are you exactly?"

"Is it really that big—"

"Kagome, where are you?"

With a puff she replied, "right outside your place."

"Really?"

"She's here, Yasha!" Mi shouted as she pocked her head into the entry.

"Good, great, I'll be there soon, stay put." She hadn't time to protest because he hung up.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"You look like death," an alluring woman whispered in the darkness, "what happened?"

"Just give me the potion," Shiro countered as he put his phone into his pocket, "quickly, Junko."

"Tsk, tsk, Inuyasha, you are such an impatient soul," she taunted as she held a blue, slender, bottle above his hand, which he snatched almost right away, "I'm insulted that you think I would sell a fake."

"If that was a love potion then... then—"

"You've never known what love is?" Junko guessed with a small wink, "well, don't worry. Love potions don't really exist."

"So... what was that thing you sold Mimiko?"

A small smile rose up on her raspberry lips that she bit down, "well, about that..."