Lead Me Down the Garden Path

Visitor

Two days had come and gone, bringing with them even more questions and even fewer answers for Kagome. It was mid-afternoon and Kagome was completing her third lap of the Manor's perimeter; she desperately sought stress relief and felt that physical exhaustion, followed by a bottle of wine, was just the sort of itinerary she needed.

Keeping her eyes concentrated ahead of her, Kagome tried to focus on her breathing. She tried to ignore the cramp starting to expand in her right side. She made a mental reminder of the pothole in the pathway coming up shortly so she wouldn't trip over it again, like she had in her last two laps. She also chastised herself to stop peering into the pool-house, on her way by, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Inuyasha doing laps. It was information she wished she didn't have; she had unintendedly noticed him on her first round and now her mind was polluted. She could never un-know he was there. Now, with a mind of their own, her eyes knew where to turn and focus each time she passed.

On top of Kagome's general concerns regarding a particular male's affections, Kagome and Sango's 'stalker' revelation a few days prior had rested heavily in Kagome's mind. Not only did she have her common questions—such as "what is so bad about Inuyasha's past that he can't talk about it?" and "why did four band members come after Inuyasha?" and "why me?"—she now had a plethora of other questions to add to her list. Even though Kagome pursued jogging hoping it would clear her mind, the thoughts that floated through her consciousness were just as present now as they had been the past few days. If anything, the sound of Kagome's footsteps on the gravel pathway just inspired a quickened rhythm to the pace of her thoughts.

Does this 'Musō' person play a large role in Inuyasha's past? How can I get Miroku or Inuyasha to tell me about him? Maybe I could get Sango to talk to Miroku for me… Who is this 'stalker' guy? Is he in any other pictures? Am I going behind Inuyasha's back if I look that up online? Probably… Is he really a stalker, though, or were Sango and I just jumping to conclusions?

Crunch of gravel. Gasp for air. Blood pumping in her ears.

Why was Inuyasha so mad after his questioning at the police station? I mean, the fact of the matter is that Inuyasha killed band members in self-defence…in my defence…yet his questioning took no time at all; in fact, the police have played such a little role in all this it's like they don't even care. Why? Shouldn't the authorities be all over this? I mean, I'm happy for Inuyasha that it's not a big deal; but, I can't help but feel like it should be a big deal.

Crunch of gravel. Gasp for air. Shit, cramp, cramp, cramp…

I wonder if Inuyasha heard the news that two more of his bandmates were released on bail today. Does he listen to the news? Maybe Miroku would have told him. I wonder if I should ask him about it. Or will he just think I'm prying if I suddenly show an interest? Maybe Sango will know more about it…

Crunch, crunch, crunch, under her feet.

Is there even a small, remote part of Inuyasha that has feelings for me?

Kagome growled in frustration and pushed her body forward, her face warming from her clenched teeth.

I will not think about him that way. I will not encourage this.

Dust trailed up from the souls of her running shoes as she approached her fourth lap of the property. Kagome's escalated, coarse breaths panted in time with her thoughts.

I will not think about him. I will not encourage this. It's a stupid attraction. It's convenient. It's a distraction. I'm an idiot for thinking this could work out. It's nothing; it will always be noth—

"Kagome! I can't believe you started without me!"

Kagome flinched slightly and slowed her velocity. The voice of her best friend pierced through her thoughts. Kagome turned her eyes over her shoulder to witness Sango dashing to catch up to Kagome; Sango finally slowed to a jog once she was parallel beside her friend. Sango's bangs were slightly matted with sweat and her makeup from earlier in the day glistened from perspiration like satiny highlighter. Sango must have sprinted from the house to try to catch up.

Seeing her friend in her workout garb, Kagome couldn't recall the last time she had heard Sango talk about her kickboxing. In their old life—their life before Inuyasha and RT Landscaping—Sango was highly absorbed in her classes, prioritizing her daily training. Kagome always joked that exercise was like a religion to Sango; she dedicated time in her every day to her training. However, knowing how important it used to be to Sango, ever since Sango started coming around the Manor more, Kagome wasn't sure how Sango had been keeping up her training.

Kagome eyed her friend's outfit head to toe. Yet, despite never seeing or hearing about her friend's lifestyle obsession, Sango's bright purple sports bra and black leggings made Kagome realize that Sango clearly must have established some kind of workout at the house. Looking at her own yoga pants, running shoes, and halter tank top, then, Kagome suddenly felt self-conscious of how she must have looked to all she passed on the property in comparison to Sango's model physique.

"Sango," Kagome exhaled, strained, out of breath. "Hey." Her heartbeat was loud in her ears and in her throat.

"Kagome, you sound exhausted. Why don't you stop? You must have been at this for at least an hour."

Why would he return my advances if he had no interest in me? Am I really just a convenience for him? Stupid, Inuyasha. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…

Kagome peered her eyes forward, determination and frustration pooling in her sternum as she frowned her thoughts to silence. Not this again…

Taking a meaty inhalation of oxygen, Kagome set off at a brisk pace, Sango quick on her heels. She couldn't risk giving her thoughts time to catch up with her while she rested.

"Whoa," Sango laughed, pumping her arms to maintain a steady pace. "Easy, there, Kagome."

"I've decided," breath, "I'm running until," breath, "I'm too tired," breath, "to think anymore, Sango." Kagome gasped for air and clutched her right hand to her waist as the cramp reappeared. "I feel like I'm going to think myself to death."

Realizing she had enough energy to overtake her friend's speed, Sango slowed her pace to jog alongside Kagome. She turned thoughtful brown eyes to her friend. "Still bothered by Inuyasha?"

Kagome took a painstaking deep breath before answering. "And the band, and the lack of police involvement," Kagome inhaled deeply, "and why I'm involved, and why I'm even still living here, and not knowing what to do about my family." She paused to take a breath, her tone becoming laced with vexation. "And Inuyasha and his stupid mixed-signals and—"

Jerk, jerk, stupid-face, jerk-bag, JERK.

"—Whoa, Kagome, stop for a second," Sango called, reaching to grab hold of Kagome's perspiration-coated arm to pull her to a stop. "Are you okay? I thought our conversation last night helped a bit with all this. When I suggested we start working out together for stress relief I didn't mean you should run yourself ragged."

Kagome rested her hands on her hips and felt her chest heaving from how out of breath she felt. Feeling her stomach churning from the pressure of her cramp, Kagome bowed forward slightly, digging her fingers into her side. Her entire body seemed to pulse from her heartbeat. Licking her lips and trying to moisten her drying mouth, Kagome swallowed heavily. Her eyes circled pebbles by her feet. Finally, she stood erect and met Sango's eye.

"There's two more getting out, Sango. Did you see the news this morning?"

Sango bit her own lips and placed her hands on her hips, her long fingernails denting into the toned flesh of her stomach. Her features melted from strong concern to empathy. "Oh, Kagome—I thought we also agreed you were going to stay away from the media. Between the videos of you and Inuyasha or pictures of the band, I thought we decided it just wasn't a good idea for your sanity." Sango sighed, lowering her eyes. Her tone softening. "But yes, I heard about that; Miroku told me."

Kagome swallowed again and turned her gaze to watch the maintenance man drive by in his Kubota. She didn't know how to respond to Sango.

"If you're paying attention to the news, Kagome," Sango continued with a newfound urgency, shaking her head, "despite everything we've talked about," she paused to swipe at her bangs. "I didn't realize how seriously troubled you are by all this. Now I feel like a bad friend."

"What?" Kagome gasped. "Why would you say that? You're one of the sole things keeping me sane here, Sango."

"I don't know," Sango shook her head, her dark brown ponytail whiplashing behind her head. "I feel like we talk about what bothers you and you seem better in the moment, but then the next time I see you it's like you're worse off." Sango's thought trailed away and turned to a sigh. "Like now, for example, Kagome. We made a plan to work out together in the afternoons; we said we'd do a lap and then we'd run through some of my exercises from class. But when I come out here, I find that you've already started and are pretty much done your workout because you don't want to think anymore.

"If you're being driven to those extremes, I don't think I'm really helping you all that much…or maybe as much as I could be. I'm just so busy with the lawyers and—"

Kagome tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears and interrupted her friend with an apology. "I'm sorry, Sango. It's not like I planned to go ahead without you. I just felt so frustrated from watching the news, which I realize in retrospect was a bad idea. I just needed to register what I heard. Time to figure out what that could mean."

Sango took a thoughtful minute before responding to Kagome.

"You think the other two will come after you?"

Kagome shrugged. The same idea that had been on the brink of her thoughts sounded a lot sillier on the lips of someone else. "It seems like an irrational thing to say, but after the crazy things that have happened these past few months, I don't know. Am I nuts for thinking my life is in danger because they're out, Sango? It's not like I can ask Inuyasha his thoughts on the subject."

Sango pouted her lips. "Are you two still not talking?"

Kagome snorted. "Not talking?" She began sarcastically. "I feel like I haven't seen him at all. It's like this stupid house is so big I don't even know where I could go to find him."

Which wasn't entirely true, she thought to herself. She had set eyes on him doing those laps of the pool when she ran by on her first lap of the grounds. Sango, she thought, didn't need to know that though.

Sango shook her head. "But why watch the news in the first place? I thought it gives you anxiety."

Kagome rolled her eyes at herself. "Oh, it does. I just couldn't help myself."

"But why, Kagome?"

Kagome sighed. "In hopes it will help me understand him? In hopes I'll finally get some answers without having to do something that I feel is going behind his back. I'm tired of feeling like I'm hiding here, Sango. I just want to know what is going on." She paused and turned a hopeful, toothy smile to her friend. "Maybe you could—"

Sango interrupted Kagome with a sigh. "Common, Kagome…I thought we agreed you weren't going to ask me to seek answers from Inuyasha…"

Kagome pouted and kicked a rock with the toe of her shoe. "It doesn't have to be Inuyasha. You could ask Miro—"

"—And I definitely am not going to ask Miroku. Do you know that that pervert…"

Sango trailed off, becoming distracted at Kagome's laughter. Kagome couldn't help but chuckle and smile at Sango's blush and standoffish demeanour at the mention of Miroku's name.

Sango sighed coarsely, her cheeks pink. "He drives me crazy."

Kagome titled her head to the side with a knowing smile. "He likes you, Sango."

"He likes all women, Kagome. I'm just convenient."

Kagome sighed and shook her head. Hearing a word she had recently used to describe herself made Kagome feel a sudden closeness to Sango. She also felt badly to think that while Kagome had been completely absorbed in her own male-oriented problems she had failed to notice that her friend had gotten herself wrapped up in her own boy troubles.

"Anyway," Sango finally said, breaking the silence and raising her arms above her head to stretch her back. "That's enough talk about Miroku. Have you thought about what you want to do about Inuyasha?"

Kagome snorted in response—which Sango took to mean 'no'—and Sango smiled empathetically at her girlfriend.

"Nothing's changed, huh?"

Kagome tried to smile to lighten the mood. "Every day that passes, Sango, I end up with more questions than answers. Thinking about him causes me to simultaneously feel excited and nauseated from how much he causes my head to spin. Running sometimes help clear my head. But when I have nothing to do it's way too easy for my brain to focus on him. It's really," Kagome paused to try to think of the right word. "Inconvenient."

"Well, what can I do to help, Kagome?"

Kagome smiled at her friend appreciatively. "You do what you can to help me, Sango, and I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, how I'm feeling is something I need to figure out. Besides, like you said you've been busy with his lawyers and Miroku—" Kagome consciously ignored the unimpressed raised eyebrow she received from Sango at the mention of a particular black-haired gentleman's name— "and I've been wrapped up in…nothing, as per usual. Maybe I turn to the news out of boredom."

"Kagome…" Sango mourned, reaching her hand towards her friend supportively.

"No, it's fine, Sango. I've kinda grown used to the idea that I have nothing going for me here. Inuyasha has been A.W.O.L. and I have no idea how to bridge the gap I've made with my family." Kagome sighed. "At the end of the day, I wonder if it's really all that good for me to stay here." She laughed with a slight shake of her head. "I feel like all this stress can't be good for a person."

"Let me help you, Kagome," Sango pressed. Her brow felt tight with worry. "What can I do?"

Kagome smiled at her friend, her breathing finally settling. "Every time we talk about this, Sango, you ask how you can help. But, you can't talk about the stuff that I wanna talk about, remember? Attorney-client privilege? If anything, it's not fair for me to keep bringing all this up with you."

"It's also not fair that you have to suffer in silence," Sango replied, unconvinced. "Maybe if you tried talking to Inuyasha…"

Kagome guffawed and rubbed at the back of her neck. "I don't have the stomach to try to approach him about any of this. Not since the other night…way too embarrassing." She focused her brown eyes on her friend and smiled. "Besides, I feel like I've been anything but silent. At least to you, maybe. I really wouldn't know what to say to Inuyasha should we cross paths."

"I can't believe you two really haven't spoken since…"

"Since we spent the night together? Nope. Although, I can't say I'm really all that surprised. I don't think he knows what he wants and there is clearly a lot happening that he doesn't want me a part of, so it's probably just best that I keep my distance."

"Kagome…" Sango empathized, her eyes shimmering with sympathy for her friend.

"No, Sango, honestly, it's fine. It sucks right now, and it's easy to feud or complain about, but I'll get over it. I think my primary focus just needs to be finding somewhere else to stay."

"But what about the media?" Sango inquired, angling her body to start walking towards the house. The girls had stopped to converse beside the tennis courts, and Sango thought this conversation would be better suited in more of a private location. To Sango's pleasure, Kagome followed without any argument.

Kagome sighed and walked with her hands on her hips. "Somehow other people who have been in worse situations than me survived the media; I can't cower inside Inuyasha's house forever, Sango. Besides, I've pretty much settled on the fact that I've been involved in all this band-related crap because of my association with Inuyasha. It's in my best interest to leave."

"Where will you go? To the Shrine?"

Kagome laughed out loud at the question and stopped, scratching at her cheek. "I can't even return my family's calls or text messages, Sango. You think I'll be able to just show up on their doorstep and continue on like nothing's happened? It's not fair for them. No," she sighed. "I think it's best for me to go, I don't know, somewhere else."

"But where is somewhere else, Kagome?"

Kagome didn't respond right away. The reflection of the shimmering pool water distracted her and she could somehow, just barely, make out the outline of Inuyasha's red swimming trunks in the pool-house. Of course, she had to turn just then to see him through the reflective, greenhouse-looking glass. Of course, she had to be reminded of those embarrassing encounters in that very same room. Kagome hated that whenever she thought of Inuyasha her thoughts immediately went into the gutter. She wasn't a horn-dog. She wasn't an insatiable woman. She hated what he did to her. It was his fault; she used to go weeks before without sexualizing the sight of a man. Now, just the faint reflection of Inuyasha's swimming trunks caused her Kegel muscles to flex.

Kagome pouted. The thought that he had been intentionally avoiding her for forty-eight hours made her blood boil. That was fine with her; she didn't want to go ahead and encourage anymore of that romantic nonsense with him anyway.

Stupid, good-kisser, idiot, dense, Inuyasha.

Kagome sighed hotly and turned frustrated eyes to Sango. Her tone seemed to have lost some of its enthusiasm. "This is a half-assed formulated plan, Sango. I don't know where I'll go. All I know is that I can't stand to stay here in Inuyasha's house one second longer with that infuriating, hot-and-cold, ignorant, oblivious, self-absorbed—"

"Are we talking about someone I know?"

Both girls jumped at the sudden interjection of Miroku's statement, and Sango spun on her heel.

After addressing the girls, Miroku turned his body to bid his thanks with a wave to Myoga for dropping Miroku off in the Kubota. Turning his sights back to the girls, it took Miroku no time at all to revel in the sight of Sango in her sports bra and leggings.

The sight of her peachy, toned stomach and ovular belly bottom caused him to clear his throat. He couldn't believe she would come outside wearing only a bra and skin-tight leggings. He was partly jealous that others could feast their eyes on her flesh. He was also partly—mostly, largely, entirely—aroused at the sight of her. He convinced himself she wore this outfit exclusively to get back at him, to send him a message.

Well, message received, my dear, Sango, he thought, his eyes roaming the shape of her shoulders and the curve of her breasts tautly contained in the lyrca.

"Hi Miroku," Kagome said in a small voice. Her cheeks were pink out of concern for how much he may have heard of her grumbling. However, Miroku's brain could hardly focus on anything other than how badly he wanted to be alone with Sango.

"Good afternoon, ladies—enjoying the late summer afternoon?

A sigh shot from Sango's lips. "What do you want, Miroku?"

Kagome turned with widened eyes to look at Sango, shocked at the curtness of her words. Noticing the toothy-smile Sango's comment received by Miroku, a knowing smile teased its way from Kagome's lips. It didn't take Kagome long to suspect that something had happened between the two.

"I want for nothing, Sango," Miroku smiled. "I was working on some exterior design and when I saw you two I asked Myoga to pull over."

"Why?"

"Is it wrong of me to want to say hello to my two favourite girls?"

A dramatic pfffft flew from Sango's lips and she crossed her arms under her breasts, extenuating the cleavage from her C-cup mounds. Miroku cherished every second she clasped her arms together.

"Have I said something to upset you, Sango?"

"No."

"Are you certain? Because you seem a little—"

"I said 'no'."

Miroku nodded, a smile still etched on his face despite Sango's curt attempts to entice him to leave. "Have you happened to further consider my proposal from this morning, Sango, regarding dinner?" The question caused Kagome's neck to snap in Sango's direction. What did Miroku mean by this morning?

An even harsher, "no" flew from Sango's lips.

"'No' you haven't thought about it or 'no' you don't wish to join me?"

"No."

"Are you positive you wouldn't be interested in joining me this evening for supper, Sango?"

"No. Wait—I mean, yes," Sango gasped, her eyes narrowing at Miroku's pleased smirk. "Yes, I'm positive that no, I won't have dinner with you."

Miroku sighed playfully and rested a hand on his heart. "You sure know how to wound a man with your words, Sango."

"Why don't you take Shiori out for dinner," Sango retorted unkindly. She still hadn't turned her eyes to meet Miroku's.

A knowing twinkle appeared in Miroku's eye; however, Kagome felt so lost she didn't know what to do with herself other than bounce her head back and forth to watch the exchange.

"Sango, you know I don't have feelings for Shiori."

"It's none of my business if you do."

"Well, you seem upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I'm not convinced by it."

"I don't care if you are or aren't, Miroku."

Miroku sighed. "Sango, I merely asked Shiori out for supper the other day because you declined my invitation, and I had made a reservation after all."

"You could have just not gone."

Miroku sighed. "You could have just said 'yes'."

"You could have just not asked Shiori."

"Sango," Miroku cooed, his periwinkle eyes narrowing devilishly. "There's no need to be jealous."

"Me? Jealous? Don't make me laugh, Miroku. I just refuse to be your flavour of the week."

"Come, come, now, Sango. You know that's not true. What about this morning when we—"

"—I don't want to talk about this morning," Sango interrupted hotly, almost tripping over her words. Her cheeks burned a deep crimson.

Kagome became awkwardly aware that something had most definitely happened between the couple. How could Kagome really be that oblivious? Had she really been all that absorbed into her own problems she missed this entirely? Third-wheeling in the silence of Miroku and Sango's awkward exchange, Kagome cleared her throat. Realizing that this conversation was really none of her business, Kagome whispered, "Um, Sango…I think I'm just gonna go insi—"

"You're not leaving me here with him, Kagome," Sango muttered fiercely, interrupting Kagome. Her words caused her friend to nod dumbly and take an embarrassed step back in hopes of giving the arguing pair some privacy.

"Sango, I promise. It was just supper."

"Then how do you explain Shiori's going on about a kiss?"

"Sango, it was an innocent little peck on the cheek. It meant nothing to me. I don't know what you may have overheard this morning, but it truly was nothing."

"Well, it sure sounded like 'the peck' meant a lot to Shiori."

Miroku sighed. "She went in for a kiss after the meal and I didn't want to embarrass the poor girl; she is a colleague after all. I had to handle the situation delicately."

"You seem to have no shame in delicately handling your colleagues, Miroku."

Miroku's cheeks puffed. "If you're addressing that rumour about Eri, Sango, it's simply unfounded. Those girls just love to gossip. There's absolutely no truth to it."

Sango uncrossed her arms and faced Miroku directly. Her fists were clenched and her cheeks were flushed. "Oh really? So you didn't sleep with her then?"

"No! I've never had sexual relations with any other of my colleagues."

Any other? Kagome's mind echoed.

"But you asked her to bear your children?"

Miroku tried to stifle his laugh. "It was a harmless joke at the last staff party, Sango. It was said in jest. I assure you though, Sango: I did not sleep with her." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs away from his tanned forehead. "What else did you overhear the maids discussing this morning while they cleaned your room?" No response from Sango caused Miroku to smile at her coyly. "Perhaps, Sango, I should have asked the maids myself. Then, I could have simultaneously asked them to change my sheets," he said suddenly, taking a step towards her with a wink. "There's a lovely stain where you—"

"—One more word and I will obliterate you where you stand, Miroku."

Kagome stuck her thumb between her teeth and turned her face away. Her body was on fire she felt so uncomfortable. If only Sango stopped turning her eyes to stare Kagome down every time Kagome tried to tiptoe away…

"I find this conversation simply fascinating, Sango," Miroku diverted in a chipper tone. His eyes bounced between Sango's flushed cheeks and fluttering lashes, and Kagome's downturned, embarrassed eyes. "Are you sure you're not jealous?"

"No, I'm not jealous," she argued. "I just refuse to go out with someone who's a notorious womanizer."

"Even if I promise you it will be a night to remember?"

"You won't lure me into having supper with you, Miroku."

Miroku held his hands up in the air, palms facing Sango, in a gesture of innocence. "I thought we enjoyed ourselves at breakfast, Sango. I'm sorry some gossip has spoiled this for you."

Sango's face lit up and her eyes widened. She immediately felt naked before his eyes in nothing more than her lycra sports bra and pants.

"Let me take you to dinner, Sango."

"You seriously won't take no for an answer, won't you?"

Miroku sighed. "You had no reservations about sharing a meal with me earlier. What's changed?"

Sango's cheeks pillowed out and her eyes shook with rage. "You took Shiori out on a date last night. You kissed her. And I heard Eri talking about how you tried to bed her at the last staff party. That's what's changed!"

"There's no truth to it, Sango. I assure you!"

"I can't believe I turn you down once and you immediately replace me with somebody else. How could I possibly—"

Miroku took two steps towards Sango and gently placed a palm on either side of Sango's face, his thumbs jutting across her cheeks. Before she could voice another argument or move away from him, Miroku pressed his lips hungrily against hers, stealing away both her words and her breath.

When Sango eventually gave into the kiss and entwined her fingers into Miroku's hair, Kagome immediately spun on her heel to turn her back to the couple. Heading for the house on her own, she covered her cheeks with her palms, stunned and embarrassed for having witnessed such a personal conversation. Kagome couldn't believe she had no idea something had been going on between her best friend and Miroku. She had suspected that Sango had developed feelings for the man, but to hear a conversation about dating, possibly even sex, and then to be followed by such a passionate kiss? Kagome shook her head, wondering just how long this may have been conspiring between them.

Feeling uncomfortable in her skin, Kagome decided she had had enough of the outdoors and would head into the house for a shower. Gesturing hello to Myoga as the squat older man drove by once more on the Kubota, Kagome turned around to head for the patio. Being on the south side of the house meant the patio door would be the closet entry to the house.

The recent image of Miroku capturing Sango's mouth with his caused Kagome's stomach to flip indignantly. How many hours had she wasted away reminiscing about that night with Inuyasha, when their lips and limbs had been just as intertwined? How many times had she touched herself to the memory of him in the pool or the distant feeling of his hands on her skin? She couldn't remember what he tasted like anymore, or the smell of his skin, or the sound of his tensed breathing while he slept. Two days without a word or a glance exchanged between the two of them and Kagome felt homesick for him.

What was stopping her from tracking him down and telling him off for being an idiot for ignoring her? She knew which room was his; what was preventing her from going to see him to put him in his place?

She was angry. She was horny. She was confused. She just couldn't understand how two people could clearly have such a strong sexual chemistry and yet it seemed to disappear just as quickly as flicking off a light switch.

Stupid, light switch, Inuyasha, her brain grumbled.

The welcoming sight of the plush patio furniture appeared in Kagome's sights. Her brain tried to turn to memories of her night on the patio with Inuyasha before the break-in; however, she stopped those thoughts dead in their tracks. The closer she got to the house, Kagome noticed a fruit tray covered in a saran wrap. Suddenly feeling incredibly parched, Kagome honed her eyes in on some watermelon and decided she would pause her plan to go have a shower and focus on quenching both her thirst and her hunger.

If there was one thing Kagome loved more than feeding her insatiable mind, it was feeding her satiable stomach.

Squatting slightly, Kagome ripped off a corner of the wrapping and gripped two cubes of watermelon in her fingers. Popping the squares into her mouth, Kagome let an appreciative groan linger in her throat. She closed her eyes as the moist, cool pulp glided over her tongue and down her throat when she swallowed. This was exactly what she had been craving, and she didn't even realize it until now. Reaching forward, Kagome grabbed three more cubes, holding them between her thumb, middle, and ring finger. Popping two of the cubes into her mouth, Kagome leaned forward and grabbed another two pieces in her hand while still clutching onto the third.

"Jesus, you gonna save some of that for the rest of us? Or are you just gonna keep stuffing your face?"

The familiar voice caused Kagome to freeze on the spot. Swallowing quickly, Kagome's tongue licked her teeth and she gripped the cubes of melon in her fist, feeling the juice trickle along the lengths of her fingers. Standing straight, Kagome slowly turned, her mind a broken record of not him, not him, not him, please not him. She couldn't tell if she felt angry, relieved, anxious, or livid.

Still not having turned to meet his eyes, Kagome faced forward to observe the lush landscape. She desperately wanted to turn and flee into the house. After all, she didn't have to stay out here and converse with him. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Why was her body getting worked up like this? Was she happy to see him? Was she relieved to finally hear his voice again? Or hear her name on his lips? Or was she enraged to hear the rudeness of his words?

Two days. We go two days without speaking after we spend the night together, and this is how he greets me?

Suddenly, the only emotion Kagome felt was rage.

"What's the matter with you, Kagome? Watermelon got your tongue?"

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes at the smug-sounding tone he used at the end of his sentence.

You think you're sooo funny, don't you, Inuyasha?

Turning around to face him finally, Kagome raised her eyebrows at him. She hadn't expected to see him laying down on the sofa, his arm tucked behind his head with a billow of bicep protruding from the sleeve of a white t-shirt.

"It didn't occur to you to say hello or something? I was standing here a good two minutes."

"Feh—for your information I was napping."

"Well sorry to wake you, Sleeping Beauty."

"Jesus, what's your problem, Kagome?"

She bit her lip and looked away. "Nothing, forget it. I'll see you later."

"Hey, wait a minute," he called, sitting up on the seat, his wisps of hair draping over his shoulders as his palms fell to his thighs.

Scoffing in irritation, Kagome spun on her heel. She felt slightly disappointed that she chose to wear her hair in a bun because she felt that her long ponytail, whipping over her shoulder, would have been a nicely added dramatic feature. She felt so frustrated by his behaviour that she couldn't help but feel the need for a flair of drama; he deserved it, after all the emotional turmoil he'd put her through.

"What?"

Inuyasha's tawny eyes looked up at her innocently, lazily. "You don't look so great, Kagome."

"Just what every girl wants to hear; thanks for that, Inuyasha," she griped sarcastically, turning to head back inside.

"No, wait, Idiot; that's not what I meant."

"Don't call me an idiot," Kagome argued, clenching her hands into fists. She had forgotten completely about the watermelon in her grip and she felt the pulp filter between her fingers and drip to the floor. Cursing mentally, she took three steps towards the table, grabbed a serviette, and wiped her sticky fingers clean.

"I didn't mean you look bad," he argued. "You look like something's bothering you."

"Nope; I'm peachy keen, thank you very much."

Inuyasha snorted. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't seem fine to me."

Kagome crossed her arms and turned her face away from him, leaning her weight on her right leg. "I'm just tired and I want to go have a shower. Do you need anything?"

"Do I need anything?" he mimicked with furrowed brows. "No, obviously I don't need anything. I was just gonna say—"

"Okay, then. I'll be going."

"For fuck's sake, Kagome. Will you stay here for two minutes? Sit down if you're tired."

"No, thank you," she chastened, angling her chin away from him.

Inuyasha's lips sputtered as he released an irate exhale. "You're acting really fucking weird."

"Oh, really?" Kagome retorted, turning her ireful brown eyes to meet his. "How would you know? It's not like you've been around for the past couple of days."

Inuyasha's mouth hung open slightly and his eyes paced back and forth beneath his burrowing eyebrows. He had no idea what had crawled up her ass all of a sudden.

"Do you got a problem with me or something?" he bickered, standing up to tower over her. "Because if you do, just out with it. I don't have time to deal with some snooty little girl with a grudge."

"Snooty little girl with a grudge?" Kagome shrieked, staring up at him with a furious expression. "You're one to talk about grudges, Mr. I'm-too-dark-and-brooding-to-share-the-burden-with-anybody-else."

"What the fuck does that mean?" he bellowed, leaning down towards her in an act of intimidation. Just who the hell did she think she was, talking to him like that when they hadn't so much as exchanged two words in two days? "And who the hell are you calling brooding?"

"You!" she pointed at him, her cheeks warming as her index finger indented into his chest. She hadn't realized they were standing so closely. "I'm calling you brooding because that's all you do! You show up to save me from almost certain death and then you disappear God-knows-where to brood. Because you're a brooding, broody…brooder!"

Inuyasha's eyes skipped between Kagome's. He didn't know where this was coming from. He wasn't even really sure what they were arguing about in the first place.

"You're crazy, woman," Inuyasha just said bluntly, before taking a step backwards and sitting back down on the sofa.

"I'm not crazy," Kagome pouted. "You're just a jerk."

"What the hell is with the name-calling, Kagome? What did I ever do to piss you off?"

Kagome snorted and seemed to withdraw into herself for a moment, her cheeks on fire and her lips moving incessantly, as she seemed to mumble to herself.

"You know what?" she said finally. "I—"

The sound of incredibly feminine giggling caught Kagome off guard and she lost her train of thought. Turning her head to her left, Kagome's mouth hung open slightly at the sight of Miroku seemingly chasing Sango into the house. His arms wrapped around her midriff, Sango looked like she was trying to fight him off; however, in response, his lips planted intimate kisses along her shoulder and neck, encouraging another rupture of giggles out of Sango. They appeared to walk in unison, fumbling their way towards the patio door.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Inuyasha spat, getting to his feet. Kagome noticed the slightest of pinks tinting his cheeks. Was he uncomfortable? "Are you two serious right now? Miroku. Sango. What the fuck?"

The sound of Inuyasha's voice caused Sango to swat Miroku's hands away and she straightened herself, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears. Her eyes focused firmly on the ground, her face a fluorescent cerise.

"Oh, Inuyasha," Miroku nodded. "Kagome," he continued, nodding at her as well. "We…I," he corrected, "did not think anyone was still around. I presumed everyone had gone indoors." He cleared his throat. "That was clearly my mistake."

"So what?" Inuyasha replied with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. "You two are fucking now?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome spat, her cheeks a vibrant pink.

"What!? I'm just stating the obvious. You saw them too, Kagome. What am I supposed to think when I see Miroku with his lecherous hands and Sango with her fuck me eyes."

"Fuck me eyes!?" Sango raged, her face a solid shade of red while she clenched a fist in Inuyasha's direction. "Say that again, Inuyasha; I dare you."

"Now, now, Sango," Miroku laughed, sheepishly. "There's no need to resort to violence."

"Screw you guys," Sango mumbled in response, her eyes downcast.

Before either of the two men could respond or retaliate, Sango released a growl of frustration and stormed past Kagome and Inuyasha, slamming the French door in her wake. Kagome flinched when the frame met resistance, causing the pane to shake on its hinges. She debated following after her friend; however, Kagome thought that it may be best to give Sango some time to cool down.

After a few moments of—what Kagome thought was uncomfortable—silence, Miroku groaned and rubbed his face.

"Well, thanks for nothing, Inuyasha."

"What are you blaming me for?" Inuyasa bellowed. "I was just—"

A bright, chiming ringtone cut Inuyasha off and he narrowed his eyes at Miroku, who fumbled through his pockets to find his cell phone. After enough rings that Kagome was positive the caller would have gone to voicemail, Miroku miraculously pulled the device from a front pocket of his khakis.

"Houshi speaking," he sighed triumphantly into the device.

Kagome watched in intrigue as Miroku flinched and held the device away from his ear slightly. Kagome couldn't make out words but there was a high-pitched whine coming from the other end of the phone, causing Kagome to suspect that someone was shrieking into the device at Miroku.

"I understand your frustration," he called into the device. He still kept the tech a few inches from his ear. "Yes—we're out back. No, out back—as in the backyard? It doesn't matter. What did you say? No, not to me, to the caller. No—Hitomi—don't put him through. I don't want to talk to him. Don't put him through to—Yes, hello, Miroku Houshi speaking? Uh-huh. I'm sorry, I can't speak to her whereabouts. Yes."

Kagome was mesmerized by Miroku's apparently one-sided conversation. Whose call had Hitomi transferred through to him? Who had called? Whose whereabouts was this caller seeking?

Kagome suddenly felt a rock drop in her stomach and she took a fearful step back from Miroku and the phone conversation that left a bad queasy feeling in her gut.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called hesitantly, sensing her discomfort.

She turned apologetic eyes to meet his and shook her head; she hoped it would signal to him that she was fine and didn't need his help.

I'm still mad at you, you know, her mind tried to justify.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she's right here."

Who's right here?

"Kagome?" Miroku called, holding his hand over the receiver of the phone. "It's for you."

Who is it?

Kagome's eyes bounced between Inuyasha and Miroku, both of whom turned to observe Kagome's response.

Who is the caller?

Taking a hesitant gulp, Kagome slowly stepped forward, reaching her hand out cautioiusly until Miroku rested the warm device into her palm.

Who is this? What am I doing? What do I say?

Taking a deep, shaky breath in hopes it would stay her increasing heartrate, Kagome gulped again. Keeping her eyes on Inuyasha, Kagome licked her lips while she raised the phone to her ear.

"Kagome Higurashi speaking."

"Holy shit, it's about time someone actually put me through to you. Can you please tell those idiots to open these gawdy front gates?"

"Souta!?" Kagome screamed incredulously into the device. Her body felt paralyzed in place.

"Yeah, Kagome, it's me. Now, can you please tell these people to open this stupid door? I'm not allowing you to ignore my texts anymore. We need to talk."

Author's Note

After some of the darker chapters recently, I thought we needed to lighten things up a bit. Who doesn't love some of that sexy, frisky, humour between Sango and Miroku and that endearing chirping between Inuyasha and Kagome that we all love about their relationship?

What do you think will happen with Souta's visit? I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. There are some super twists and turns around the corner for you!

Your reviews, as always, are always appreciated and received with the utmost thanks!