[Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, I know… Neither do I own "I Wish It Would Rain Down" by Phil Collins. One of my favourite songs, actually… Might as well state it too… J ]

Warning: a certain dream sequence in this one! If you're not up to those kinds of things, I don't know why you even bothered begin reading this fic, and if you are, here's something for you to chew on… J

THE BET V

*****

Kagome trudged back home, trying to ignore the feeling of the descending axe that had settled in her stomach since Sesshoumaru had left her there, stunned. She actually felt like crying, for the first time in a very, very long time. Something was wrong with her, she shouldn't be reacting like this. Perhaps I'm going to be sick?

'Or, perhaps, it's your conscience speaking?'

Who? Don't tell me it's you?

'Me? Does it sound like it?'

No, it doesn't…

'Hey, relax, I'm on your side!'

That's what I was afraid of…

'Ungrateful bitch!'

Hey! Don't call me bitch! And I'm not ungrateful!

She was feeling really down. What had begun as a joke was rapidly slipping out of hand, and now she had a little more than a week to fix things up. A week that probably was going to be the worst in her life, if it continued like this. The churning in her stomach made her want to vomit, and she tried to steady herself and keep her pace up, but it was hard.

She spotted her house, the little shrine where she lived at the top of the hill, and was grateful to see the lights in the window. Right now, all she wanted was to have her mother hug her, just she had done when she was a little girl, and tell her that there were no monsters under the bed. Only Sesshoumaru… And he's IN my bed… No! Get a hold of yourself, Kagome! Stop acting like this, there's nothing wrong with you, you're just imagining things!

Climbing the stairs, she hurried forward. It was really dark outside now, and she didn't want to be standing there longer than necessary. I hope that Hojo hasn't been here yet! For some reason, she knew that if she had to spend the evening in his company now, she would break down into little pieces. Irritation? No, it can't be… More like… betrayal…

'Betraying who? Inu? No, that one's gone a long time ago, whatever feelings you might have for him.'

Then who?

'Sesshoumaru perhaps? It's not nice to play with his feelings like this, you know…'

Feelings? He doesn't HAVE any feelings! He's the Ice King, you know…

'Don't be so sure…'

Hey! I know that man, at least, as much as anyone does, and he doesn't have any feelings, I can assure you!

'And that's exactly my point, you know…'

I'm telling you, he doesn't HAVE any feelings!

'Whatever, keep on trying to ease that guilt, are we?'

No! We're not!

She hurried inside, the warmth of the house greeting her and she heard her mother and grandfather talking in the kitchen. They were probably having dinner right now. She opened the door to the kitchen, relieved to see that Hojo was nowhere in sight.

"Where have you been all day?" Her mother smiled at her as she rose to set another plate at Kagome's seat, and she returned it gratefully. Finally home, and mom will fix things again…

'No one can fix this mess besides you…'

Oh, just shut up, will ya?

"Just… out. I met… a friend, and we went for a cup of tea. It was later than I realized when we said goodbye." She dug into the food, suddenly hungry. Her mother was watching her as she did, and she looked up.

"What?" The smile she received then was enough to stop the fork halfway to her mouth. No, please, don't say it!

"Hojo was here earlier, and he promised to be back later. I think he had something important to say to you." No! No, no, no, NO!

"When?" Surprised at how steady her voice could be when she watched her world suddenly flunged upside-down, she forced herself to continue eating, her appetite gone.

"He said that he was going to call first. I don't know when, since I told him that I didn't know when you were going to be back." Her mother was really fond of Hojo, mostly because he seemed like 'such a sweet young man'. She liked Inuyasha too, but had been a little sceptical about him ever since they had broken up. Kagome though, prefered him a million times over Hojo, but she was still too nice to say anything to him. He was sweet, in his own way, but a little… dull… sometimes.

"Okay…" She was very conscious of how the rest of the family was watching her as she slowly continued eating. She was heading for Inu's as soon as she had swallowed the last bite, Hojo or no Hojo. Why does this happen to me? What have I done to deserve this?

'Oh, not much, you're just beginning to realize that you actually DO deserve this…'

Go away, I don't want to hear that right now!

'Too bad, you're going to anyway…'

I'm not!

'If you just had listened to me from the beginning, none of this would have happened!'

Yeah yeah… Satisfied now? Go away!

She finished her dinner hastily, and with a 'thanks' she hurried upstairs to change her clothes. Sunday, that meant movies in the large couch in the Onishi residence, trying not to notice as Inu and Kikyo were making out in the other corner, or how Sango and Miroku kept eyeing each other and edging closer by each minute. And sitting there, alone, trying to dull the ache inside. 'That's it, Kagome! You're going to win the bet tonight, whether you're up to it or not! Afterwards, perhaps you can get back to normal again…You've been too long without getting laid, that's it.'

What? No way! You're out of my head, now! I won't have you saying things like that, got that?

'Oh no? What about that dream you had last night then?'

Like it meant anything?

'That's what you say yes, but I know better…'

Like hell… Go and bug someone else, will ya?

'No, I won't. It's time that we have our little talk now. You've been avoiding it long enough. That little dream of yours was perhaps a little indication that things aren't what they seem like? Ever thought of that?'

What the hell are you babbling about? You're not making sense, you know…

'Like I have to. I'm just the little voice inside your head, you told me so yourself.'

Whatever, just go away.

'Yeah, right…'

Stop it, would you? And the next time you open your big mouth, try to get something sensible out…

'I'm talking about feelings you're trying to suppress.'

Great, now you're Freud too; just because I had a dream about him - a very nice dream - I'm in love with him? Or perhaps, I'm in love with Inu's car? Get to the point for fuck's sake!

'I AM getting to the point, but you're just interrupting me all the time. You're just like a bitch in heat right now, you know that?'

Whatever. If you don't have anything better to do than insult me, I suggest that you leave now. I'm tired.

'Yeah, go ahead, just run from it, hide those feelings and convince yourself that they don't exist…'

WHAT feelings? There ARE no feelings! It's a fucking bet, and if I would have feelings for anyone, it would be for Inu, and you know it!

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the voice, but as she did, the dream from last night was playing in her head instead.

Leaning in, she traced her lips softly along his neck, feeling him work with her short skirt, dragging it up over her hips and losing her panties God-knew-where in the process. The feeling of his hands was following shortly behind, his ragged breathing next to her ear made odd things to her blood. Her own hands were buried in his hair, trying to keep her balance as he slipped his hand between her legs again, touching the soft skin on the inside of her thighs, having her knees almost give way. She whimpered, the pathetic sound loud in the still air around them as she blindly found his lips with her own. Closing her eyes before removing her hands from his hair, she fingered him down his chest and stomach, hearing him groan as she reached his pants. Her lips and tongue followed the same trail as her hands had done moments before, and the way he reacted made her grin. She wasn't the only one with an itch tonight, apparently.

He grabbed her by her hair as she breathed against his navel in short puffs before dipping her tongue into it for a moment and continuing down to the clearly visible bulge in his pants. Pausing, she wasn't sure what to do for a moment when her fingers began working on their own accord with the button there.

The feeling of his hands on her head made her pause again, and she looked up to meet the golden eyes, as dark as honey with desire. The thought of the soft and sticky substance made her smile, unbidden thoughts coming to mind. Something to try, perhaps… But now, she was busy with something else. Grinning, she freed him from the hindering clothes and took him into her mouth, earning a sharp intake of breath.

His hands tightened in her hair, massaging her scalp as he thrusted forward cautiously, not wanting her to gag. She adjusted her head to his body, a grip on his hips to keep him still till she could begin her ministrations in earnest... The feeling of his hands in her hair was somehow making her unsteady on her feet and she decided to ignore the need of balance for the time being. He thrusted forward again, slowly at first to let her get used to the feeling and the rythm, but as she grabbed his hips with steady he increased the pace.

Finding the sensitive skin in the back of her neck, he had her closing her eyes as shivers traveled on their own up and down her spine. He leaned his head backwards and she felt his release a moment after, the taste not quite what she had expected, but not too strange either.

She heard him let out the breath he had been holding and suddenly felt his hand stroking her cheek, the action so unexpected that she blinked.

He pulled her back up again, crushing her lips against his own, his hands tracing fire down her body again. Rational thought was since long gone, replaced by the mad desire that swept over her. She wrapped her leg around him, pulling him in closer. When he connected with her skin again, she could feel the first throbbing wave of an orgasm beginning to build and she closed her eyes. He was running his fingers up and down her thigh, setting fire to her skin, and she tried madly to breathe, to focus just a little bit again. And failing, as his finger found her wet entrance, slipping in. She moaned, and the sharp intake of breath that followed was almost a stab in her chest. Arching her back against him she urged him on, not to be disappointed as he obliged. He used his thumb to rub her bud, feeling the wetness spread. He slipped another finger into her, caressing the soft walls around them at a slow pace, dipping in and out. His other hand held her steady against the wall behind her, pressing her back to the colder material, causing an odd mix. One that she didn't mind the least - the rest of her felt like she was on fire as his skin brushed against her own. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she felt her muscles contracting around his fingers, her whole body exploding, fire raining down on her, the liquid heat coursing along her veins.

"God…"

Finding that she actually could breathe again, she leaned her head on his chest for a moment, trying to catch her racing heart again. Neither of them said anything. They just stood there, him holding her more gently in his arms than she would have thought him being able to, and she closed her eyes again. She had never had an orgasm like that before, her nerves burning up by the pure force of it.

A wicked grin graced her lips for a moment before he decided that he had had enough of waiting. Pulling her down on the floor with him, he spread her legs slowly, watching how she bit her lower lip and smiled at the look in her eyes. He dove into her, feeling her sharp intake of breath as she wrapped her legs around him, drawing him closer. He was still for a moment as he met her eyes, blindly staring straight ahead.

She felt him grab her wrists, bringing them up above her head and trapping them there. She didn't mind that at all, the unfamiliar feeling sending a wicked sensation through her body, adding to the rest in a way she had never thought possible.

"Now…" came her breathless pant against his neck, and he wasn't one to argue this time. Keeping her hands above her head with one hand, he let the other one trail slowly down her body again, his rough fingertips not quite touching, but still making her nerves work overtime. She whimpered again, slightly changing her position as to take him in deeper, wrapping her legs even more around him.

The second orgasm was as intense as the first, sending her falling over the edge almost as soon as he began moving, not quite understanding what was happening. Not that she would have cared the least if the roof fell in on them right now - how he was moving inside her was making her oblivious of everything else.

A last thrust, and she felt him release himself inside her, groaning as he did. Neither of them moved again, his face in her hair, his own hair falling down to make a silvery curtain to shut everything else out. She could feel him breathing, how his chest rose and fell with the slow breaths, and decided that it was time for more. Wiggling under him, she removed her legs. He choose that moment to look up, the golden eyes holding an expression she had never seen before, and a small smile played on his lips as he leaned down to kiss her. This kiss was so unlike any other she had ever recieved, so soft and sweet that it alone brought tears to her eyes.

"I…" The rest of the sentence was drowned by her lips against his. She didn't want to hear what he was going to say, but as he broke from the kiss, she knew that she was going to hear it anyway.

"I love you, Kagome…"

In her dream, she could hear how his voice was so soft and she felt the first tear find its way down her cheek, and he leaned in to lick it off, igniting another spark of lust in her…

And gasped, as she felt the heat rise inside her again, startling her. A slight… ache… of anticipation was felt in the lower part of her abdomen, and she blushed as she realized that she was looking forward to this in more than one way. 'Come on, girl! Scratch that itch…'

It's not that I have that much of a choice, right? You just don't have to be so… annoying, and whining about it all the time, you know…

'Whatever, just make sure you get it over with tonight, right?'

Right…

She rummaged through her wardrobe in search for her favourite top, trying not to notice how she was becoming more and more… nervous? No, I'm not nervous! It's not like I haven't done this before…

'Sure, but you've never made a bet out of it either…'

Finding the red top she had been looking for, she hurried into the shower, needing to wash off every trace of her worries before going back to deal with them again. If she was really going to win the bet tonight, she needed to be at her best - calm and composed and still have the heat that was needed to melt his ice. Closing her eyes, she leaned backwards against the wall and let the water spray over her as thoughts of him in the shower came to her - unbidden but no less tempting and she sighed as she pictured him naked. He would be just perfect; lean and hard and strong at just the right places… Realizing that she would start drooling if she didn't stop thinking about him she set about to try and shave her legs without cutting herself. That was something she would never learn, she decided as she drew the razor up over her knee with her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth as she tried to make it past without leaving a smear of blood behind. As she succeeded she let out the breath she had been holding and chuckled to herself. She could have bet almost anything that neither Kikyo nor Sango had the same trouble as her with the razors - somehow they never seemed to cut themselves up in quite the same way. One leg done, one more to go…

Leaning her head on the wall for a moment, she tried to catch her breath again before continuing shaving her other leg - something she succeeded in without any scrapes. She was debating with herself whether or not to wash her hair again as a momentarily silence made her being able to hear the phone ring, and she froze. No, not Hojo… Please, not him!

Someone answered, and she heard her name being called. She stood there for another moment before answering.

"I'm in the shower, I'll call back!" She heard the words being repeated again as she sunk down on the floor, trying to find a way out before her family knew what she was up to.

Finally deciding, she washed her hair too, just to have an excuse of what took her so long, before hurrying with the rest, scrambling out of the shower. Drying herself off, she got dressed and sneaked out, just to meet Souta in the hallway outside. He looked at her, and she frowned. Now what?

"It was Inu. He was just making sure that you showed up tonight. He told you that it was important." He shrugged, passing her and left her standing there, her mind trying to puzzle out that little piece of information. I've better get going then…

Hurrying into her room, she fixed her hair, trying to decide whether to let it stay down, or put it up. She wasn't really vain, but if she was going to do something about Sesshoumaru tonight, she wanted to get a headstart. Finally deciding, she left it down. It would have to do. She looked at herself in the mirror, the slightly blushing young woman standing there was ready for whatever the evening had in mind for her. I hope…

Hurrying out, she closed the door to her room, almost jumping down the stairs and out to the car. She didn't care about the stares she recieved by the rest of her family - who was probably seating themselves waiting for Hojo to show up again.

It didn't take more than a couple of minutes to drive over to the Onishi residence, and she parked her car outside the garage, hurrying inside before she could change her mind.

"Hey, Kag!" Miroku greeted her on his way to the kitchen, and she waved at him.

"Has the movie already started? And what are we going to watch?" Inu had a certain liking to bloody action movies, something he shared with Sango, surprisingly enough.

"Nope, he says that we're not going to watch anything tonight. He has a game instead…" She froze then, knowing in an instant what he was up to.

"His idea, or anyone else's?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows as she asked the question with an icy voice.

"Sango's I think… Whatever they're up to now…" He shrugged and continued into the kitchen, leaving Kagome alone in the hallway for a moment. She got rid of her coat and adjusted her top before heading into the living room where Sango and Kikyo where seated watching TV and talking.

"Hey… You made it, after all!" Sango greeted her with a smile, and Kagome seated herself beside them.

"Yeah, I've been out all day. I was by your place too, but there wasn't anybody home." The question was clear in her voice, and to her astonishment, Sango actually blushed.

"Yeah… I… I was at Miroku's…" The way she stared straight ahead and pretended like it didn't matter if she was blushing or not, made Kagome smile. Finally!

"Did the two of you have fun?" She couldn't resist the question, knowing that she wouldn't get an answer.

"Mmmm…" Sango was staring straight ahead on the TV, blushing furiously.

"Good." Inuyasha choose that moment to get himself into the room, watching the three girls in the couch.

"Games, Inu?" She captured his eyes with her own, trying not to scowl at him.

"Yep, 'Truth or Dare'!" She stared very hard at him then. He just gave her one of those infuriating smiles before seating himself next to Kikyo, who more or less crawled up in his lap.

"'Truth or Dare'…" she murmured, trying to find an excuse to leave. I'm not going to do this. I'm not! Inu, you son of a bitch, what are you up to this time?

Miroku was back from the kitchen, and seating himself beside Sango, who leaned against him - causing some eyebrows to rise - as he handed out the drinks. Non-alcoholic this time, something she was grateful for.

"I'm just…" She rose, fleeing the room. She felt the gazes of the others on her back as she went back to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I wonder if he's home? Well, there's just one way to find out…

Sneaking out of the kitchen again, she went up the stairs to the next floor where his office was seated. Sunday night - he was bound for work.

Opening the door to his office, she stood there for a moment, watching him as he was still oblivious of her. He had his glasses on again, his hair was swept backwards behind his shoulders and he looked tired. The soft notes of 'I wish it would rain down' was heard and she couldn't help but stare. She had never thought that he actually liked Phil Collins, she had always pictured him like some kind of a jazz guy. Or perhaps Bach…? Something a little more… sophisticated than that, at least. Not that she minded the surprise, not at all, it just served to show her that he actually was human…

The soft light of the lamps around the room cast shadows around, and she stood there, still not moving beyond breathing. He looked so… vulnerable…? No, not him, not ever that… But tired, in a way. He had probably had one of those days too, after they had parted.

"What do you want this time?" His soft voice startled her, and she jumped. He looked up, taking off his glasses.

"Just talk, actually." She took his raised eyebrow as an invitation and closed the door behind her. Walking over to the desk, she was conscious of his eyes on her all the way.

"About what?" Not in the mood for games, are we?

"Nothing specific… Just talk." She shrugged and seated herself on the desk, shoving away some of the papers there, not caring about his frown as she did. Butterflies were trying to break out from her abdomen, and she would gladly have let them, if it meant that they took the nervousness with them. Calm… Breathe, Kag, breathe before you faint from the lack of oxygen!

"If there was nothing else, then the door is over there. I count on you to find your way out on your own." His voice made her wince - ice was warm compared to that. And a blizzard a week on the Bahamas…

"How long have we known each other now? Five years and counting, I think." She met his eyes, willing herself not to let them get the better of her this time.

"So?" She shrugged, trying to figure out what to do next.

"I… I just…" Not knowing what to say next, she stared out the window instead. He was still watching her, rubbing his temples and the bridge of his nose to get rid of the headache. Oh yeah, definitely one of those days…

"I'm too tired right now for these kind of games. Get to the point." She suddenly snapped, anger and hurt taking the better of her.

"I am getting to the point here, but you're just too fucking busy to care, aren't you?" Whatever possessed her to say that, she immediately regretted it as he rose, towering over her.

*********

End Part V