Inuyasha POV:
I leaned against my windowsill and peered out into the gathering darkness. After a quick glance at the clock I continued to stare out at the sky. I could already feel the damnable change starting as the sun sank lower into the horizon. In a few minutes it would disappear completely. I inhaled the breeze that flowed through the open window as a last vestige of my demon senses. I hated this night more than any other.
I went to the bathroom and watched my reflection as my ears slowly became pointed, and then rounded; my fangs shrank away; my hair turned midnight black and my eyes became a dark gray-brown. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I couldn't hear a damn thing. Not to mention my sense of smell.
A sudden thought occurred to me as I walked sadly back to my living room. I didn't want to spend tonight alone… or with Miroku. I picked up the phone and looked at the clock again. It was 8:30. Kagome would still be awake, I think.
I dialed her number without looking at my phone list. The phone rang shrill in my ears a few times before she picked up.
"Hello?" she trilled cheerfully, and I could actually feel her smiling through the phone. Why was she always so damn happy?
"Hey Kagome." My voice sounded sullen and rough compared to hers. Then again, I was sullen and rough…
"Oh, hi Inuyasha!"
"This might seem kinda sudden, but can I come over?" there was a slight pause on the other side of the line.
"Um, sure. What for?"
"I just wanted to show you something. I would wait until tomorrow, but it'll be gone by then."
"Well, alright. We can watch a movie while you're here! It starts in twenty minutes. I wasn't going to watch it because it's a horror film, but since you'll be here…"
"Sure. I'll be over."
"The door will be unlocked, so you can just let yourself in. Mom is at the hospital overnight with Grandpa because he hurt his back, and Sota will be going to bed soon, so be quiet when you come in, kay?"
"Yeah, that's fine. See you in a few. Bye."
"Bye." The phone gave a muted click as I hung up. I gave myself a once over, and pulled a black hooded sweatshirt over my maroon shirt and baggy jeans before leaving. Damn, I hated this night.
XxXxXxXxX
I made to the shrine in ten minutes and true to her word, Kagome had left the front door unlocked. I opened the well oiled door without a sound and put my hood down. I the door silently and walked down the hall.
Even with my crappy human senses I could hear the popping of popcorn and the smell of addictive salt and butter. I stood in the kitchen doorway and watched Kagome pull a large bowl out the cabinet while the popcorn cooked in the microwave. She turned and gave a startled little half-scream when she saw me.
She grabbed a huge butcher knife out the drawer behind her and pointed it at me with trembling hands. I backed up a step and raised my hands to shoulder level in a gesture of surrender.
"W-who are you?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"Kagome put the knife down. Please?" I added the last part as a plea. I should have seen this one coming. Why the hell should she recognize me like this?
"How do you know my name?" She cried in a high-pitched voice. Her hands were trembling really hard now. I doubted she would be able to use that knife now.
"Kagome, please put the knife down. I really don't think I would be able to survive a stabbing at this point."
"I don't know who you are! Get out of my house!" I rolled my eyes.
"Kagome, you invited me to your house!"
"No I didn't! G-Get out!" I allowed a hard edge to creep into my voice as I addressed her.
"Look at my face, wench, and tell me you don't recognize me." She stared at me for a moment and the knife blade lowered a bit.
"Inuyasha?" I rolled my eyes again.
"No, it's Barney the purple dinosaur, Kagome." She put the knife back in the drawer, never taking her eyes off me.
"You gave me a heart attack! What happened to your hair? Where are your claws? Where are your ears?" In answer I pushed my hair back and tucked it behind my human ear. She gasped. "You look human!"
"Dammit, I am human!" she pouted.
"You make that sound like it's a bad thing."
"For me it is a bad thing!" Kagome turned around and pulled the popcorn out of the microwave and poured it into a bowl. She glanced at the clock before remarking, "The movie is starting," and walked out of the kitchen. I stared after her a moment before following.
XxXxXxXx
The movie was pretty gory, even with all that I had seen in life. Every time anything even remotely scary happened, Kagome would squeal and bury her face in my arm. At some point, I don't really remember when, she ended up in my lap with her face hidden against my chest. Even with my weak human senses I could smell her slightly floral scent. I closed my eyes for a few moments, and when I opened them two minutes later, Kagome had fallen asleep, arms wrapped tightly around my torso. The movie was over and it was about eleven.
I turned off the T.V. via the remote and looked at Kagome. If her Mom and Grandpa came home, this would look pretty suspicious. I tried to pry her off me. The harder I pulled, the tighter she squeezed. In the end, I let her have her way simply to avoid broken ribs. She snuggled against me even closer than before. I sighed and dropped my head back against a pillow. May as well get some rest.
XxXxXxXx
When I woke, my demon senses hit me like a wall. I usually didn't sleep on the night of the new moon, so I could feel the gradual effects of my demon blood coming on. However, this was like a slap in the face. It was like having cotton balls removed from my ears and being able to smell for the first time.
I could hear the sizzling of hot oil and the low grumble of an oven burner. I smelled bacon, waffles and eggs and more closely, Kagome's brother. I half-opened one eye and gave a low growl. The little boy was about three inches away from my face. He quickly scrambled backwards when he saw I was awake. He stared at me. I stared at him.
"Um, hey kid."
"You're not a half-albino, you're a half-demon!" he cried. I narrowed my eyes.
"What of it?" I growled. His next words caught me off guard.
"That's AWESOME!" the third-grader yelled, pumping one fist into the air. Kagome stirred against my chest and I removed my arm from around her shoulders. She mumbled incoherently before subsiding. Sota glanced at the kitchen door.
"Breakfast is almost ready. Mama asked me to ask you if you wanted to eat with us when you woke up." I raised an eyebrow at the boy.
"Is it just me, or is your family unusually… accepting of half-breeds?" the boy shrugged.
"Mama's just happy Kagome finally found a boyfriend." He gave a goofy grin. Mrs. Higurashi's voice drifted out of the kitchen.
"Sota, come help me set the table!" The boy scurried off. My legs were starting to fall asleep, and Kagome wasn't showing any signs of waking up. Sota poked his head out of the kitchen again.
"Wake her up!" I blinked.
"Why me? She's your sister!" He gulped.
"You've never seen Kagome in the morning, have you?" he asked with a nervous look.
"Well, no, but-"
"Have fun getting mauled!" he squeaked. "I'm gonna watch how this plays out!" I smirked.
"Look kid, it all depends how you wake up the she-lion. Watch and learn." I said confidently. I bent over and lightly brushed Kagome's ear with my lips and I murmured to her, "Good morning, Kagome." She opened her eyes a fraction and glared at me through the corner of her eye.
"Wsh gnf abt it?" she asked. I sat back up.
"Well, I don't know what you just said, but breakfast is ready."
"I asked, 'what's good about is?' referring to the fact that you said 'good morning'" she stated grumpily. She unwrapped her death-grip from around my ribs. "Why did you have to wake me up anyway?"
"Well, you're brother apparently finds us a subject of riveting fascination." I chuckled. Kagome leaped up.
"WHAT?" she shrieked. Her grandpa peered around the corner.
"Kagome, you're growing up so fast! My little granddaughter… with a boy!" he choked.
Kagome screeched. "What are you implying Grandpa?" I simply stared. After a while of watching Kagome smack her grandfather, I ambled into the kitchen with Sota. Mrs. Higurashi looked up from her frying pan and greeted me with a smile.
"Good morning!" I gave a brief nod before I was distracted by the huge plate of food she offered me. I gasped my thanks to her as I picked up my fork and started shoveling eggs into my mouth. "Sota, go ask grandpa if he remembered to take his medication, alright?" Sota nodded and left the room. Kagome's mother sat at the table across from me and smiled again.
"Do you love my daughter?" she asked. I choked on my food and swallowed. What… the hell?
"Um, I… that is… I mean…. I don't know?" She gave an understanding nod.
"Alright. Well, you'll figure it out sooner or later." She said cheerfully. Kagome then walked in, her face beet-red. She slumped down low in the chair next to me.
"Stupid… gonna kill him…" she muttered. I laughed lightly.
Kagome POV:
"Wow Kagome, I didn't know you could change colors like that!" Inuyasha said teasingly. I glared at him. My face was burning, and I could tell that I matched Inuyasha's shirt. I kept grumbling about my embarrassing grandfather when my mom placed food in front of me. Despite myself, I copied Inuyasha and wolfed down the bacon, eggs and waffle. After breakfast Inuyasha claimed he had to go home.
"Whyyyyyyy?" I whined. He looked down at himself.
"Uh, Kagome? I've been wearing the same clothes for a while, and I need a shower." He stated. I sighed.
"All right. See you at school tomorrow, I guess." He winked at me in a slightly mocking way.
"Count on it!" With a last smile he took off down the shrine stairs. I went back inside, thinking. How come he always came over here? I had never been to his house. Then again, he lived alone, so the house probably looked like the inside of his locker: like a tornado hit it. I shrugged and began to pack up my back pack for tomorrow morning. My cell phone began to ring. I picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Kagome!" it was Sango. "Rin, Ayame, and I are going to the mall in an hour. You wanna come?" I heard a voice in the background that sounded like Ayame. "She better come! I wanna hear all about what she and her boyfriend did last night!" My face started to burn again.
"H-how do you guys know about that?"
"Miroku." Said Sango in an offhand voice. "No, wait, Rin! Gimmie the phone!" There was the faint sound off squabbling, and then Rin started talking. "Listen Kagome, if you can't come we're going to kidnap you and bring you anyway!" she trilled.
"Uh, no, that's okay, I can go." I hastily reassured her.
"Lovely!" she sang. "Meet us in front of the Wetzels Pretzels!"
"Sure, see you there." I hung up while Rin and Ayame played tug-o-war with the phone on the other end. With a sigh I picked up my purse and headed to the door. This was going to be fun!
Inuyasha POV:
I was wandering the mall with no real intent in mind. It was close to my house, and I was bored out of my mind, so I came here. I didn't bring any money, so I couldn't buy anything. I wasn't with anyone, so I couldn't chat. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so I couldn't browse.
Pointless, boring, trip. I thought to myself. This almost worse than hanging out at home!
I began to walk out of the mall when a girl grabbed my arm. Twisting around, I saw that it was Kikyo. What the hell? What was she trying to pull? There were too many witnesses here!
She caught me completely off guard as she pressed her lips to mine in a passionate kiss. My mind went completely blank, and I found myself kissing her back. There was something pulling at the back of my mind, but I didn't know what it was. Screw it. I'd find out soon enough.
Kagome POV:
"So how did Miroku know Inuyasha was at my house?" I asked Sango.
"Weeeellll…. Miroku tried to call Inuyasha, and he didn't pick up until, like, 1 A.M., and Miroku asked why. Inuyasha just said he was spending the night at your house."
"Oh. We watched a movie and I fell asleep on his lap." Ayame leaned in close to my face, one finger on her lips in a thoughtful, suspicious pose.
"Is that all that happened?" she asked.
"Yes! I swear, that's it!" She shrugged her shoulders and pulled back.
"All right! So, what's…." She suddenly trailed off, and a totally shocked expression spread over her face.
"What?" Sango, Rin, and I asked simultaneously. She mouthed silently, like a fish out of water. I followed her gaze and almost started crying on the spot. Inuyasha was making out with Kikyo. In public. I felt shattered. Sango gave a low growl and Rin swore. She didn't do that unless she was really ticked off. I lowered my eyes.
"I-I'm just gonna…gonna go home now." I said softly. This 'fun' trip to the mall was a nightmare. I had trusted him! I broke down on my way home. I stepped inside the door with tears streaming down my face. Sota looked worriedly up at me.
"What's wrong Sis? Are you hurt?" he asked innocently.
"Yes Sota." I said lowly. "Very hurt. But not in the way that you're thinking." He looked confused, but shrugged it off.
"Well, Inuya-"
"Shut up!" I yelled. "Don't even say his name! I never want to see that two-timing cheater's face again! I hate him!" Sota was speechless as I pushed past him and went up stairs. I flopped down on my bed and sobbed into my pillow.
My heart, and my trust, were ground to dust.