InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Grudging Loss ❯ A Burger and a Shake ( Chapter 4 )

A Burger and a Shake

In and Out Burger, Santa Monica

 

The entire group had made their way to an `In-And-Out Burger' joint near the Santa Monica pier. Everyone had ordered `double-double' burgers, fries and milkshakes. They had found a nice spot on the patiounder a plastic red umbrella and were actually having a fairly good time enjoying each other's company.

 

Since everyone was feeling relaxed, Inuyasha felt like it was time to move the conversation to the recent fight. He would never learn anything unless he could get this group to start talking about it.

 

“So is this night out on the town a celebration?”

 

Miroku looked up at Inuyasha quizzically. “Celebrate what?”

 

“Your victory over UCLA,” said Inuyasha smirking.

 

Sango put her hands over her eyes and Kagome groaned. “You'd have to bring that up?” asked Kagome as she started to become extremely interested in her milkshake.

 

“Why aren't you happy that you won?” he asked in complete befuddlement.

 

“I shot a guy in the heart and you're asking if I'm happy?” Kagome asked in exasperation.

 

“Well, he's just a demon, you shouldn't be too upset…,” added Inuyasha in confusion.

 

He was momentarily lost as he saw a rage strike Kagome that he didn't know the girl even possessed. “Don't you dare, EVER, say something like that about someone just because of who they are. Demons have just as much rights as everyone else. We live in the 21st century you know. This isn't the feudal era!”

 

It took seconds for Inuyasha to respond to the unexpected and blistering attack. “I mean. Damn! You're taking this all the wrong way. I mean he's part demon right? So he heals quick. He'll be OK. Don't worry about it,” Inuyasha added defensively.

 

Kagome's anger left her body and she momentarily sagged in her chair. “Oh I thought you meant...” She paused before she continued, “You weren't there. You didn't see the way he looked at me when I fired the arrow at him…and…,” she added as she stifled back a sob.

 

Inuyasha was shocked, but he continued on as his curiosity overcame him, “And…?” he added.

 

“And he yelled at me, cussed at me, called me a bitch after I pulled out the arrow. He was so angry at me. I kept on apologizing. But nothing was good enough,” Inuyasha watched her bottom lip quiver again and the tears started the fall down her cheeks again.

 

Miroku groaned and suddenly Inuyasha felt like shit. He had made her feel this way? But she had shot an arrow through his heart. Right? Didn't she deserve to be upset? For some reason he moved next to her and wiped the tears away that were falling down her cheek. “Damn human night,” he thought. “I get too emotional when I'm human.”

 

“Umm…Kagome…he'll be alright. He'll heal. Don't let what he said bother you. I hear he's always gruff like that. Don't take it personally,” he added.

 

“Yeah, I guess,” answered the miko. Inuyasha finished dabbing her tears away with a paper napkin and he couldn't help but feel the irony of the situation. Here he was comforting this woman from the very things he had said hours ago.

 

“Why do you let what he said bother you anyway? He's just a guy from a rival team. Don't even think about him,” added Inuyasha.

 

Sango looked at him knowingly before she sipped at her milkshake. Miroku paused a brief moment to stare at Inuyasha and Kagome. “He's right you know,” added Miroku. “He's only a rival and you need to develop a stronger skin Kagome. You can't participate in college level sports at the level we are in without developing a skin of iron.”

 

“I know Miroku, I know. It's just that if I get this tough skin that you want me to have. Then I don't know if I will be myself anymore. I want to care about people. I want people to like me.”

 

“Caring is nice Kagome. But you can't care for everyone. And no matter what you do, some people will always dislike you. In fact I would say with a high degree of probability that most of UCLA hates all of our team. That's just how things are. You need to accept it,” answered Miroku.

 

“Miroku,” said Sango as she put her hand on his. “Kagome's just a little more sensitive than normal because of `who' we are talking about.”

 

Miroku sighed as he brushed his hand through his hair. “Listen Kagome, stop thinking about him. I think his behavior today clearly showed that he is not someone that you should ever think about that way.”

 

“Think about that way? What are they talking about Kagome?” asked Inuyasha.

 

Kagome started to blush and Inuyasha noted that she looked rather pretty when the pink tones hit her cheeks, her neck and upper torso. He could tell that the blush ran all of the way down to the swells of her breasts that were framed by her lovely silver corset. He couldn't help but to think if the blush extended even farther down before he glanced back up at her face.

 

“I….ummmm…it's nothing Ash, nothing,” added Kagome.

 

Inuyasha stared at her face. She was blushing and stammering. It wasn't nothing. What was going on?

 

“Good!” murmured Miroku. “It is nothing and will be nothing. I'm glad that you figured that out. Now why don't I run across to that store and get us some sake and beer? Then we can head to the Santa Monica pier for some fun. Ash is right everyone. We should be celebrating and as your team captain I order you to! Especially you Kagome!”

 

Kagome looked up at Miroku and smiled. There was a momentary stillness in Inuyasha's chest as she looked at him. Her smile was brilliant and he felt like it could light up the LA skyline with its warmth.

 

He also thought wryly as he looked at Kagome that he was happy to hear what she had said about demons having the same rights as everyone else. Yes, it was the 21st century, but even to this day humans and demons rarely dated or even married. His parents had been an exception to the rule--an exception that had pained him his entire life. But if his Mom could accept a demon, then maybe Kagome could as well. “Maybe she… That's it!” he thought. He shook his head and took a bite out of his double-double burger and chewed with a purpose. “No god-damned human is going to get me thinking about her,” he thought as he quickly finished off his burger.

 

A big thanks to my Beta blackdeathmessengerwho also came up with Inuyasha's band name and is helping me with some of the songs that I will be choosing for this fict.

 

Special Thanks to the Following Reviewers:

Serenity Anne: I'm glad that you are enjoying it. Stick around.

Purple-Converse-AllStar: Gosh, good question. I hope that Kagome's odd behavior starts to make more sense by the end of the next chapter. (She does act differently when she knows Inuyasha is around.) There is a reason why she was acting the way she was. And most of the seduction was on Inuyasha's side—not Kagome. She did a little bit of it, but that was only because she was depressed and was trying to loose herself in the moment. She's also used to singing in public and was very comfortable on stage. Inuyasha is egging her own since he is the one who is really trying to get her in bed. I'm glad that you liked the idea of them fighting in a championship. I was having a lot of fun with it. And oh, they still have the tournament fight ahead of them!

sofiakalaughable: I'm glad that you seem to be having fun with the story. As far as Inuyasha goes, was it that obvious? But then again poor Inuyasha wasn't always the best judge of his own feelings.